HonkyTonk Mew:A Cinderella Tail!
by CursiveBlade13
Summary: Matsuru was a normal orphan until her mother Ichigo came from Tokyo to take her into a new life. Now, Matsuru will have to cope with not only new people and a new world, but new mysteries she's never know before, and haunting secrets that will change her forever. Ch.18 posted!
1. Beginning

daisukezgirl13: Hello everyone! As I said in my profile a while ago, this is the new Tokyo Mew Mew story that I've been working on since I am in the middle of a really low dipping point on my other Tokyo Mew Mew story because I need more reviews. But if you review, I will update again soon. For now, please enjoy this story and please read and review! Enjoy _Honky-Tonk Mew Mew: A Cinderella "Tail"_

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Chapter 1: Beginning

The day began normal, just like every other day started at the huge Chicago orphanage. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the four story building. Cars were steadily moving past, the drivers' thoughts on what they were going to do that day. No one even glanced at the orphanage. No one cared about all the children inside.

Meanwhile, inside the big building, the cooks and some faculty were getting up and ready to prepare things for the sleeping children. All of the children were asleep, dreaming about what would come that day, all of the children but one.

On the roof of the orphanage, legs hanging over the ledge, a red-headed girl was sitting, watching the sun rise. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the sun's warmth wash over her. After a while, the girl opened her eyes and yawned. Below her, she could hear the sounds of the kids in the orphanage beginning to stir. She leaned back, and began to sink back into her state of peace.

A few minutes later, a voice from behind the girl spoke. "Matsuru! I figured you'd be up here, like you always are." The red-head named Matsuru turned to face the other girl who had shoulder length brown hair. Her eyes were green and she was fairly tall. "Why do you always come up here?" The brown haired girl asked with her arms folded. Matsuru shrugged and continued to be at peace in the sun's rays. The girl walked up behind Matsuru and said in a stern tone, "If you'd like to come down, we might not be late for breakfast for like the umpteenth time!" Matsuru giggled and turned to look down at the girl. "Oh Sami, you worry way too much!" The girl named Sam began to tap her toe and Matsuru sighed heavily and said, "Oh, fine. Let's go to breakfast!" Matsuru got up from the ledge and jumped down with out any effort and landed with such poise. She and Sam ran through the roof top door, down the stair well, and to the ground floor.

Before the girls went into the dinning room, they each checked each other over to make sure that their uniforms were in order.

The uniform for the orphanage was very simple, actually. The girl had to wear a jean skirt and jeans for the boys. The shirt was the same for both, a button up white dress shirt with the orphanage's symbol over the left breast pocket. Shoes were not uniformed, meaning that the kids could wear what ever they wanted. Sam had on scuffed up black boots, and Matsuru had on raggedy all black converses.

When the check was over, the girls entered the room.

Most of the kids at the orphanage were already eating. Sam and Matsuru quickly grabbed trays and got in line. When they both had their breakfasts, they walked over to their normal table, which was the one furthest away from all the others. The reason was that really no one liked Matsuru, except Sam. Many people thought that Matsuru was too different. Other people were freaked out by her eyes, which were golden amber and were almost like a cat's. But, what most people thought was weird wasn't Matsuru herself as a person, it was how her time at the orphanage began.

One raining night, one of the teachers at the orphanage heard a loud banging on the front door. The teacher opened the door and saw a young red-headed woman standing there, soaking wet, with a year old baby bundled up in her shaking arms. The woman stumbled into the foyer and collapsed. The teacher ran over and the woman whispered, "The baby's name is Matsuru. I had to get her away so that she would be safe."

The woman offered the baby to the teacher and she took the child from the mother's arms. The woman got up very shakily and kissed the baby one last time she whispered, "I'll be back…..When all is safe…" And with that, the woman went back out into the rain and into a car. The car turned on and drove off.

Many of the kids at the orphanage made fun of Matsuru because her parents had abandoned her. Matsuru ignored these comments and was always hoping the day would come when her parents would come back for her. Even though fourteen years had passed since that night, as far back as she could remember she had always kept the dream alive of being claimed by her parents.

Sam and Matsuru began to eat their breakfasts. They ate in silence for a long while. Finally, Sam broke the silence by saying in a low, quiet tone, "Were you thinking about your family again?" Matsuru laid her fork down and nodded. Sam sighed and said, "Well, don't worry about it. Today is a day to celebrate! It's the last day of school!" Matsuru nodded and continued to eat in silence. Sam didn't have the hope that she had. Sam's parents had died in a car accident when Sam was a year old. Fourteen years later, Sam was sitting here telling her not to worry about her possible family? It made Matsuru almost laugh inside.

A bell rang and everyone got up from their tables and threw their trash away. Sam and Matsuru did the same, put their trays on the rack, and then walked out into the hallway toward the direction of their ninth grade homeroom.

They got into the classroom, grabbed their bags from the back of the room and sat down in the back of the classroom.

In the span of a few minutes, all of the other students filled in, grabbed their bags and sat down. As the bell rang, their homeroom teacher walked in carrying some papers and a mug of coffee. Matsuru liked their homeroom teacher. Her name was Ms. Karsen. She had always treated Matsuru very sweetly, ignoring the brash comments from the students.

"All right everybody, settle down. The bell already rang." Everybody settled down and she took attendance. When that was over, she let them talk.

Everyone got up and began to move around, talking to other students. Sam got out a piece of blank paper and so did Matsuru. They began to draw. When the bell rang, the girls got up and traded their papers, as was accustom. Matsuru looked down at Sam's flowers, and other various doodles.

"Wow!" Sam exclaimed. "This picture is as good as last times!" They re-exchanged their papers and walked out of the room. "You should seriously consider a job as an artist Ru. How do you do such great works of art in such short amounts of time?" Sam rambled on and Matsuru smiled. She looked down at her picture and recalled while drawing it, she barely paid attention. Now looking at it, she thought it was pretty good for not paying attention.

The picture was of a blue haired woman with blue eyes. Her hair was up in buns with two pieces of hair hanging over her ears. She had on a blue neckband with a gold pendent hanging from it and blue puffy arm bands. She was also wearing a tight blue dress that was low cut and came up to her upper thigh. On her right thigh was a blue band. She also had blue wings and a blue feathered tail. She had on blue gloves and in her hands, she was holding a small bow and arrow. On her feet, she was wearing blue boots that came up to her ankles.

Matsuru smiled at her new picture and put it in her drawing folder as they walked to their class, which was English Literature.

Their English Literature teacher's name was Mr. Bran. He was also nice to Matsuru and he trusted her because she was always so extraordinary in his class. So, for that reason, he pretty much let her do what she wanted.

The bell rang and everyone sat down in their assigned seats. Mr. Bran looked up from his papers and said in a happy tone, "Class, since it's the last day of school, I'm not going to teach." Everyone cheered at this, but he calmed them down and continued. "I would like you all though, to do something creative with your time in class, a poem, picture, or story. I'm not going to collect this, because I want you to keep them. Now go on and have some fun!" The kids pulled out paper, pens, pencils, and other various things. Sam pulled out a notebook and a pen. She loved to write fiction stories. Matsuru pulled out a pencil, a blank piece of paper, and her colored pencils. She closed her eyes, thought a minute, opened her eyes and began to draw. Yet again, she barely paid attention to what she was drawing, her hand just glided over the paper effortlessly.

Before Matsuru knew it, the bell had rung. Everyone around her was packing up. She grabbed her papers, her bag, and her newest drawing. She turned toward Sam as they walked out of the classroom and asked her, "What class now?" Sam turned toward her and said, "Don't you remember? We have that assembly until lunch." Matsuru exclaimed, "Oh yeah!" Then Sam hit her on the forehead and said, "Smart one!" They were laughing and poking each other, so they didn't even see the guy in front of them. Matsuru bumped into him and what they were both holding ended up on the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Matsuru apologized as she bent down to pick up the stuff. The guy she bumped into bent down to help and he picked up her newly drawn picture and some other things. When everything was picked up, they stood up and that's when Matsuru got a good look at him.

He was tall with tan skin. His hair was just touching his collar and it was light brown. What really caught Matsuru's attention were his eyes. They were crystal blue and when she looked into them, she felt as if they would sweep her away into them. He wasn't wearing the uniform which surprised her. She didn't know what to say to him. She stumbled for words and finally said, "Um…I'm so sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going." He smiled making Matsuru's heart jump, and replied, "It's okay." His voice was like an angel to Matsuru. He paused a moment and told her, "You're a really great artist."" He handed her the picture and she said, "Thank you!" No one, besides Sam, had told her she was good at anything.

They exchanged a silent minute of staring into each other's eyes before Sam cut in. She tugged on Matsuru's sleeve and said, "As nice as this moment is, we have to go…now! Nice meeting you!" She pulled Matsuru away and they down the hall to the auditorium.

They got auditorium, and sat in the back as far as they were allowed. It took a few minutes to quiet everybody down, but once everyone was quiet, Mr. Hobbs, the principal got up on stage. Many of the students made fun of him. He was tall, bald, and had a hook nose. Many people called him the "Hobbit" or "Bald Eagle". He was also known for making his many stupid "Hobbisms".

He got up to the podium and said, "Hello everyone. Today is a sad day for many teachers as we let you out into the evil world of summer, and…" By that point, everyone was zoning out, even the teachers. Sam had pulled out her notebook to write in her story. Matsuru pulled out her newest picture and thought back to the guy she had bumped into. _Who was that guy? _

She looked at the picture and was happy with what she had drawn.

It was of two guys. One was tall with short purple hair, and the other was short with brown hair up in what looked like pig-tails. They both had pointed ears, like an elf's. The brown haired guy's outfit was short shorts and what looked like two rags tied together with a bow. He was barefoot and he was very goofy looking. He was sticking out his tongue at the purple haired guy. The purple haired guy was so serious looking. His expressionless face was looking at the brown-haired guy. The serious guy's out fit was a long sleeved shirt and pants. His shoes were like boots, but looked as if they were made of cloth. Their clothes looked almost…alien.

Finally, Mr. Hobbs' speech broke through the walls of boredom.

"And now students, I have a very important announcement. We will have a new boy coming to live at the orphanage. He is nervous, so please treat him nicely!" He began clapping and everyone followed in suit. "I wonder what kind of person he'll be." Matsuru thought aloud.

"Probably some nerd or something!" joked Sam. Matsuru laughed and began to clap. The boy walked on stage and Matsuru almost fell out of her seat.

It was the boy she had bumped into earlier.

"Everyone, this is Cole Sanders. Give him a big 'Hello'!" Everyone mumbled a small and pitiful "Hello." Sam leaned over to Matsuru and asked, "Isn't that guy you bumped earlier?" Matsuru nodded and kept staring at him. Suddenly, Sam poked her and whispered, "Hey, almost lunch!" Cole walked off stage and sat in the front row. Matsuru kept staring over at Cole and her body shuddered. She had never felt this way about a guy before, and a guy she barely knew none the less!

Suddenly, the bell rang and everyone began to get up. Matsuru grabbed her bag and she and Sam walked out into the hall down to the dining room. Matsuru walked into the dining hall and she and Sam set their stuff down on their normal table before they stood in line for their food. Once they had it, they went back to their table and sat down.

As they were eating, someone came over and sat down. He took one of Sam's chicken fingers and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

"Hayf, wafs fup?" He said with a full mouth. Matsuru laughed and Sam pinched him. "Kyle, I told you not to do that!" He swallowed the whole thing in one huge gulp and laughed as he said, "I'm hungry! Can't help that, can I?"

Kyle was Sam and Matsuru's friend. He was originally Chinese, but he ended up in America when his parents died in China when he was seven. He came over to live with his grandmother. She had died of old age a few years later and so, Kyle was sent to the orphanage. He was 16, but he was so very immature!

Kyle looked over to the door and waved at someone to come over. He shouted, "Hey! Over here! Hey!" Matsuru bit into her chicken finger and took a sip of soda. When she saw Cole walking toward her table, she showered Sam with chicken and Coke. Matsuru gasped and handed Sam many napkins accompanied by "sorry" many times. Matsuru didn't know why she felt so weird around Cole….He made her feel so strange and nervous.

He came over and saw Sam and Matsuru. He smiled, sending Matsuru's heart into a flurry of off-beats, and said, "Hey, you're the girl I bumped into in the hall. I never caught your name. I'm Cole Sanders." He sat down and Kyle said, "I invited him to sit with us since he's new. You guys don't mind, do you?" They shook their heads and Matsuru took a drink of Coke before she introduced herself.

"I'm Matsuru, just Matsuru. I don't know my last name." He smiled and asked, "How old are you? I'm turning sixteen in about a month." She leaned back in her chair and said, I'm fifteen and everyone assumes my birthday is March 13th because that was the day I was brought here fourteen years ago."

He stopped asking questions and ate his food. She ate her food and thought about her family again. Sam recognized went Matsuru went into her "family world" and so she picked up a conversation with Kyle and Cole.

Matsuru drowned out everyone's voices and thought to herself, _I wonder where my mom and dad are now…I really wish I could've gotten to know them…I want to have a family…_

Off in the distance, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The foursome got up and as they were walking to throw away their trash, Mr. Hobbs' voice rang over the intercom.

"Would all of the students please report to the auditorium instead of sixth period for the awards assembly? Thank you!" They threw away their trash and Kyle began to turn around to walk with the girls, but Sam gave him a stern look and he turned to walk with Cole.

Sam walked slowly with Matsuru and waited until most people were out of earshot. After that, she said quietly to Matsuru, "Hey Ru, are you okay? You seem out of it…" Matsuru sighed and said, "Yeah…I'm fine…" Sam shot her a look and Matsuru sighed.

"Okay…I'm not fine…I can't stop thinking about my family. I know you will try to make me feel better by saying 'Don't think about it', but I know that they're out there somewhere…I just have this feeling that they're alive and will come for me…one day…" She stopped talking and Sam said nothing.

They soon arrived at the auditorium and were waved over to their normal, back-row seats by Kyle. Cole was sitting with him and when he smiled, Matsuru's heart went into its normal flurry.

They sat down together and within a minute, Mr. Hobbs stood up in front of the kids and cleared his throat.

"Today, we will look back at the accomplishments of our students. Remember the people you meet could be famous one day. Always think back to previous accomplishments and look forward to new accomplishments. There are two things that can change you, the people you meet and the books you read. Now, for the awards." He grabbed the folder with the awards in it and so began the ceremony.

They went through various awards for sports, music, attendance, and other extracurricular activities.

"And finally, one last award." The room sat up and almost everyone's gazes shifted to the nearest watch or clock. Every time keeper read "3:13". Two minutes more and the bell would ring…two more minutes and they would be free.

"This award," Mr. Hobbs continued. "Is fairly new, but it is going to an extraordinary person. The award for best artist…It was a hard decision, but it will go to…Matsuru!" The kids applauded and Sam whispered as she pushed Matsuru up and into the aisle, "Go on…You deserve this!" Matsuru walked up the aisle and onto the stage. She grabbed her award and Cole smiled at her. She smiled back and walked back to her seat.

It was at that moment that every person, save for Mr. Hobbs who had continued to ramble on, was looking back to every watch or clock. No one listened to Mr. Hobbs, only the slow ticking of the clock. It read "3:14" and every person, teachers included, counted down…

Thirty more seconds…

Twenty more seconds…

Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One…SUMMER!

The bell rang and all the kids jumped up, threw papers into the air, and cheered. They all ran of the auditorium leaving Mr. Hobbs and all the teachers behind as they ran to the freedom of summer.

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daisukezgirl13: So, that's chapter one. If you guys like it, I'll post more. I'm in the process of writing the good part of this story so, if you wanna find out what happens, you'll have to wait for more. I do so hope you like this story after all the work I put into it!

With Many Smiles,

Daisukezgirl13


	2. Memories

daisukezgirl13: Hey readers! I guess you like the first chapter, so I'll post the second! Please read and review like other chapters please! And just to inform you, I stayed up in the wee hours of the morning to bring this chapter to you, so PLEASE review! And I'm sorry that I messed up the descriptions on the drawings…I was doing them all from memory!

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Chapter 2: Memories

Matsuru flopped down on her bed and laughed. "Summer, here I come! No more homework, quizzes, projects, and most important, NO Mr. Hobbs!"

Sam sat at the foot of Matsuru's bed and suggested quickly, "Hey, we should go to the mall right now!" She jumped up and grabbed clothes to change into. Matsuru sat up and asked, "What? Where did that come from?" Sam quickly changed into a "My Chemical Romance" t-shirt and some jeans as she said, "Dunno, but if you're coming, you'd better get changed."

As Sam reached the door, Matsuru began, "But, you know we need a teacher to go with us and-"

"Don't worry about it!" Sam interrupted. "I'll get us a teacher. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes!" And without any response from Matsuru, she left.

Matsuru met Sam five minutes later in the foyer wearing a black and white striped shirt covered by a light, green hoddie, and jeans. Standing next to Sam was . She smiled and said, "Hello Matsuru, I'll be taking you guys to the mall. We can go once the other two finally show up." Matsuru looked quizzically as she inquired, "Other two? What other two?"

At that moment, Kyle and Cole walked down the boy dormitory stairs and into the foyer. Cole smiled at Matsuru and she blushed slightly.

They all walked outside into the bright daylight. The mall was only five blocks away, so they walked. As they were walking, Matsuru felt a prickling feeling like, someone was watching her. She looked around but, saw no one.

They arrived at the mall in a few minutes and when they got there, told them to meet back at the main fountain at 5:00 so that they could be back for dinner at 5:30. After she told them, she let them go. The foursome ran all over "window shopping" for quite a long while.

After about an hour, Kyle saw GameStop and he said, "OH MY GOSH! GAMESTOP! Sam, come with me! NOW!" He pulled her toward the store, leaving Cole and Matsuru alone. They looked at each other and Matsuru blushed a little.

_Now what?_ She thought pathetically. She took in a deep breath and said, "You…wanna go to JCPennys?" He nodded and they began walking.

In JCPennys, Matsuru was looking at some cute t-shirts when she felt the prickling feeling in her neck again. She turned around to look and see if anyone was watching her and she bumped into a blonde guy.

He had beautiful sky-blue eyes, and he wore a black tank-top like coat, khaki pants, and black shoes. Weirdly, he wore a red neck band, and he looked foreign, yet so familiar…

"I'm sorry." She apologized, smiling.

"No, it was my fault." The man replied. He looked so young, maybe in his thirty's, but he sounded so mature!

Cole walked over and said, "Hey Matsuru, we need to go. It's 4:50 and we still have to get back to the fountain." Matsuru nodded and walked away from the blonde guy. She looked back, waved, and said, "Bye, nice to meet you!"

The guy watched the two walk out of sight. When he couldn't see them anymore, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. When the other end picked up, he said to the person, "Hey, I just saw her…Matsuru…" Then, he walked away to finish his conversation somewhere private.

Cole and Matsuru met up with the group a minute later and together, they headed back to the orphanage for dinner.

The foursome walked into dinner and got their trays of food and went back to their table. The noise grew as more kids filled in.

As usual, Kyle stole from Sam's plate and shoved what he took and ate it in one huge gulp. They all laughed and then, began to tell each other about the day's events.

Matsuru didn't say too much. She couldn't help but think about that blonde guy she had bumped into. He seemed so familiar…like a memory forgotten.

Finally, her thoughts were broken when Sam shook her and said, "Hello, Ru? Wake up sleepy-head! Dinner's over!"

Matsuru looked around at everyone getting up and she did the same. Kyle ran behind Sam, tickled her sides, and stole her shoe. She ran after him, leaving Matsuru and Cole alone again. Matsuru grabbed her tray and followed Cole to the trash can.

They placed their now empty trays on the rack and Matsuru rubbed her temples as they walked away. Cole pulled her aside and asked very concerned, "Hey, are you okay? You look sick or something." Matsuru shook her head and answered curtly, "No, I'm fine, just a minor headache, but I'll be just fine." Cole stared at her for a second and then he said, "Okay, well then, let's go." They smiled and began walking to the dorm stairs. They said their goodbyes when they reached the guys and girls stairs and went to their rooms.

When Matsuru opened the room door, Sam was sitting on the bed writing in one of her fiction stories. Matsuru took a breath to say something, but a flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder sounded, cutting her off. The lights flickered and a heavy rain began to fall. Matsuru changed into her pajamas although she was not tired. She brushed her teeth and put her hair up in a messy bun.

When she walked back into the room, she saw Sam let out a huge yawn. Sam changed as Matsuru sat down at the desk. Sam came back in a minute later and slid under the covers. She asked, "Coming to bed Ru?" Matsuru shook her head and said, "No, I'm gonna stay up for a bit. I'll shut off the over head light and turn on the desk light, okay?" Sam nodded and lay down to sleep.

Matsuru shut off the over head light and turned on the desk light. Out of her backpack, she pulled out her drawing folder. She took out a blank piece of paper and began to draw very detailed and slowly. The rain poured outside accompanied by the many claps of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning.

About a half and hour later, Matsuru sat back and looked at her picture.

It was of a green haired man. His hair hung over his pointed ears and was tied into two pieces. His skin was pale and his golden eyes stared out. His shirt was a loose brown and black tank top with puffy sleeves. His stomach was exposed his wrist were rapped with red bandages. He was wearing black shorts with a brown piece of cloth hanging over them. His boots were black cloth tied with brown rope to hold them together. He was smiling and hugging and pink haired woman. Her eyes were pink as well, like her hair. She had black cat ears and tail to match. On her tail was tied a red ribbon with a bell. On her neck was a pink neck band with a gold pendent hanging from it, and on her arms were pink puffy armbands. Her shirt nicely accented her bodess and it was pink. Her skit looked somewhat like a pink tutu. On her right thigh was a pink leg band and her red boots came up to her knees. On her hands were red gloves and in them, she was holding a pink heart with a bell hanging in the center of it. The woman was smiling and the two together were so cute.

Matsuru smiled at her picture and she pulled out her others to look at. There were five other pictures that were very similar to the one she had just finished.

The two pictures that she had drawn today of the blue haired woman and the two guys along with three others she had drawn a while ago just were so similar.

The first picture that she had drawn a while ago was of a purple haired woman.

Her hair flowed eloquently over her model-like body. Her eyes were purple, like her hair, and she had grey wolf ears and a tail to match. Her expression on her face was so blasé. She had a purple neck band with a golden pendent hanging from it and purple puffy armbands. Her shirt looked like a purple bra almost, but it covered much more. Her stomach was exposed and around her belly button was a tattoo. She had on purple short shorts and a purple leg band on her right thigh. Her purple boots came above her knees. She had purple wristbands and in her ungloved hands was a cross with a ribbon coming from the top.

The second picture was of a yellow haired woman. Her hair was short with little braids and she had brown monkey ears and a tail. On her forehead was a tattoo. Her eyes were yellow, like her hair, and they showed so much joy! On her neck was a yellow neck band with a gold pendent hanging from it. She had on yellow puffy armbands and her hands had brown fingerless gloves. In her hands were two rings, one smaller than the other. Her outfit was in one piece and it was yellow. The top looked like a halter top and it went down to the middle of her thighs. On her leg was a yellow leg band on her right thigh and her shoes were brown flats with yellow, baggy socks tied with brown rope.

The last picture was of a green haired woman. Her hair appeared to be short, but it was long and in a tube that almost looked like a tail. Her eyes were green too and she had on a green neckband with a gold pendent hanging from it. She had what looked like antennae coming from her head. Her shirt was green and it accented her bodess nicely. On her chest was a tattoo, and her shirt had little flaps that went over the bathing suit like bottom. There were two green flaps coming from the back of the shirt. On her right thigh was a green leg band and her green boots came just below her knees. In her hands were two pink and green castanets.

Matsuru, letting out a huge yawn, still looked over the picture and kept thinking, _These people…they are so…familiar…_

She closed her eyes, laid her head on the desk and fell into sleep as the storm raged on outside.

_Matsuru dreamed that she was standing in a park. She didn't know where the park was, but it was so beautiful and peaceful. She knew from that fact that it wasn't Chicago._

_Suddenly, screams were heard and people were running from the far side of the park. Matsuru turned around and saw what had been scaring everyone away…_

_…A huge monster…_

_It was drooling and its claws were very sharp. She screamed and hid behind a nearby tree. __**What is that thing?**__ She thought. _

_"For your evil actions, we will make you pay!"_

_Matsuru turned around and saw five women behind her a little away. They were, to Matsuru's astonishment, the five women she had drawn! The blue haired, green haired, yellow haired, purple haired, and pink haired women were exactly as she had drawn them. _

_The pink haired woman yelled, "Let's go Mews!"_

_The women ran toward the monster, and they all screamed._

_"RIBBON MINT ECHO!"_

_"RIBBON LETTUCE RUSH!"_

_"RIBBON PUDDING RING INFERNO!"_

_"RIBBON ZAKURO PURE!"_

_"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK!"_

_Many flashes of light sped toward the monster from the items the women were holding and hit the monster. It roared and fell to the ground. A great light emanated and enveloped the monster as it disappeared. A small cat and what looked like a jellyfish was in the monster's place. A small pink fluff ball ate the jellyfish like thing and the cat disappeared. _

_From above, a voice said, "So, the Mews have come to play, huh?" Matsuru looked up and saw the three men she had drawn floating above the scene. The brown haired one stuck out his tongue, the purple haired one took notes, and the green haired one just stared at the women called "Mews". The women ran toward them and the blue haired women shouted, "We're not finished!" The brown and purple haired men disappeared, but the green haired man stayed. He looked down at them and shouted back, "We'll be back…I can't wait to play with my favorite kitty!" He looked directly at the pink haired woman as he mentioned "playing with his favorite kitty". He laughed and disappeared. _

Matsuru awoke and stretched as the sunlight poured through the window. She smiled as she said aloud, "What a weird dream…It seemed so real though…" She stood up and saw that Sam was still asleep. The clock read "8:30". Matsuru decided that she would head down alone to breakfast.

She jotted Sam a quick note, changed into a blue shirt, black hoodie, jeans, and her converses before waking out the door.

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daisukezgirl13: Well, I hope you guys enjoy this second chapter…sorry its so long…darn descriptions! Oh well, may not be able to update for a while, seeing as how I'm still in the process of writing it. Don't worry though! I'm hurrying with this story as well as "The Choice Of Love Or Love". Well, Happy New Year!

With Big Smiles,

daisukezgirl13


	3. Sunset Truth

daisukezgirl13: Hey guys! I took time from my busy schedule to write the third chapter! I do kind of feel sad that I put all this effort into my stories and I only get a few reviews. I need to know that you all love me! Please review! Oh, and I kept forgetting to put this in…

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Saki, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

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Chapter 3: Sunset Truth

When Matsuru got to the dining hall, there were only a few students eating. She assumed that most kids were enjoying their first chance to sleep-in. She grabbed her tray, some food, and sat down quietly by herself. Many thoughts whirled around in her overcrowded mind.

She quietly finished her breakfast and threw away her trash. She stretched and walked out into the hallway. She turned toward the foyer and thought, _What now? No one that I hang out with is awake now…So…I guess it's back to roaming the halls…like normal…_She put her hands in her pockets and turned away from the foyer and began to walk down the long hall. During her long walks, she didn't know where her feet were taking her…they seemed to have a mind of their own.

She walked slowly and laid her many thoughts in front of her. Her dream last night had made her a little freaked out. Why did all of those people look just like the people she had drawn? Why was the green haired and pink haired stood out so familiar to her? She felt so weird when she looked at their eyes.

She walked by a picture that said, "We All Love You!" She sighed and walked up a flight of stairs. She sat on a window sill and sighed as she thought about the picture.

_Love…That makes me think of my parents…What did I do wrong? Why did they give me up? To think, my own parents didn't even love me…I've never really had parental influence of love…Will that affect my life later? Maybe…maybe they will never come to claim me after all…No one cares about me like they could…they are probably dead…or, maybe I was just not good enough for them…I mean, I have Sam, Kyle and now Cole…but none of them really understand how I truly feel…I can't think about this anymore…_

She stood up and began to walk down the hall again, submersed in thoughts.

_Maybe I did something to drive them away. Maybe…I was not-_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized airily.

"De ja vu, huh Matsuru?" She looked up and saw Cole smiling down at her as he stood in front of her. "It's just like when we first met yesterday." She pushed past him and absentmindedly began to walk away.

"Wait Matsuru!" He called out with a tone of pleading in his voice. She still continued to walk away, but he ran behind her and grabbed her wrist. She stopped and he spoke.

"Hey, I just want to know if you are-"

"Leave me alone Cole. I'm trying to think." She tried to break free, but he still kept a firm grip.

"Let go of me Cole."

"No," he retorted. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you." She turned around and slapped him before she ran down the hall. He stood still for a second and then ran after her and called to her.

"Matsuru, just talk to me!"

"No! You won't understand…No one can and no one does! No one cares!" Her voice was shaky and it sounded like she was crying. Her words dripped with remorse and sadness.

Finally, one floor up, Cole caught up with Matsuru. He grabbed one of her wrists and as she turned to slap him, he grabbed the other one.

"Just let me go!" she protested as she looked downward.

"No! Look at me Matsuru!"

She shook her head and said, "I…I can't!"

He struggled with her for a minute before she looked up at him and screamed, "Let me be! I want to be alone!" He looked down at her wet cheeks which were blotchy, but mostly, he saw past that and saw her eyes. In her eyes was so much pent up anger and pain…pain that had been inside her for years…It shone past her sadness and overtook her. He released his grip a bit as he said cryptically, "…do you really want to be alone right now?"

Her eyes flickered with surprise. She looked into his kind and forgiving eyes and the sadness took over as she shook and replied very shakily, "No…no…I don't want to be…alone…I need someone…now…more than ever…" He let go of her wrists and she hugged him as she cried. He comforted her and quietly led her over to a spot on the floor. She sat there and just let her tears that had been held in for do long finally make their way out and with those tears came a few inner thoughts.

"Why did my parents give me up? What was so wrong with me?" she sobbed and he pulled out his handkerchief. She thanked him as she dried her tears and she turned toward him and asked, "I must look awful and sound so stupid right now, huh?" He smiled and said in reply, "You're opening up to me…that's not stupid or awful, that's a miracle!" She had a small smile break onto her face and he looked serious as he asked, "Now, what's the problem?" She took a big breath and began.

She explained to him in full all about her doubts with her parents and all of her thoughts of insecurities and how awful she was that her parents had to give her away.

"I've been thinking a lot about this stuff and I can't help but wonder what I did wrong…why didn't they love me enough to keep me?" She sat back and looked at him as she pondered and after a minute, he looked into her eyes as he responded.

"It's not that they didn't love you…They probably had a very good reason that they had to give you up. It could have been financial or maybe they were really down on their luck in their health. But, whatever the reason, you should never give up the hope that they might come back for you." She looked at him in wonder and softly thanked him.

"I've never even thought of it like that. Thanks a lot Cole." He smiled and tipped his head as he responded with, "You are so welcome!" They smiled and she had a quick thought run through her, for once, empty mind.

_…I trust him…_

He stood up and helped her stand up. He waved and began to walk down the hall. _It's the first time I've ever truly trusted someone, and I'm letting him walk away…No, I won't let that happen…I won't be alone anymore…I won't hide from my pain or fear…I'll face it…_

She took a breath and stepped of the ledge of comfort. "Wait Cole…"He turned around to face her and she said, "Um…I…I want to show you something because…I trust you…"She held out her hand and asked, "Do you trust me?" He smiled and grabbed her hand as he softly said, "I trust you the most Matsuru." They both smiled at each other and she led him down the hall.

_I know I must be doing the right thing…because I'm not afraid to be with him…_

She led him to a door which had a big sign on it which read, "ROOF NO ENTER!" She pushed the door open and they walked a smaller staircase. He smiled slyly as he asked, "We're not supposed to be up here…are we?" She smiled back at him and said nothing.

She went to turn the knob on the door, but it was locked.

"Darn, I didn't think that it would be locked…However, I can fix that…"She reached up and felt along the upper door frame. "Where is that darn key? Ah, found it!" She brought down a golden key and inserted it into the lock. The lock clicked, she placed the key back, and she led Cole out onto the roof.

"And why may I ask do you know about this place, and you know where the key is?" He asked. She turned around and said, "Well, I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you." She smiled and they laughed. She led him over to the ledge of the roof and sat down with him. Together, they talked about simple things as the complicatedness of the people passed by down on the street. Time trickled by and the two of them felt as if time was standing still, just for them. The sunset cast such mesmerizing shadows on every exposed surface. Cole looked over at Matsuru and his breath was taken away.

The golden sun's rays made Matsuru's eyes really come alive. They were electrified and bearing into his very soul. Every red hair was accented against her pale skin. Her lips were so lush and perfect and her smile just made everything inside Cole just want to hug her and never let her go.

"Cole? You in there? Hello?" She tapped on his forehead and he was brought back to the present moment. "Yeah, I was just thinking." He said in response. "Hey, that's my line!" She teased. He smiled and his insides turned as she laughed. Her eyes, which before had been drowned in remorse and sadness, now shone with joy and calmness. She looked at him and prepared what she said next.

"You know Cole, you are the only person I have ever truly trusted. Even only knowing you a day or two, I feel like I have known you for a lifetime. I've never shared my past or opened up to anyone in the past. The first time I saw you, I was drawn to you by-"

"By my charm and good looks?" He interrupted as he posed and smiled.

"No…It was your eyes which attracted me to you…They were the first eyes that I had looked into and could see the true you, no lies or covering who you truly were. The trueness in them was like water in the desert. I want to thank you for so much, but especially for being so true and kind to me when I had always been labeled a freak."

"You are no freak." He said this with such seriousness, it took Matsuru by surprise. "You are honest and you don't even see how kind you are yourself. The first time I saw you, you want to know what I thought?"

"'Who is this girl, and why did she bump into me'? That would've been my reaction." She teased.

"No, I thought, 'Wow…She's beautiful…' And once I looked into those amazing golden eyes, I saw everything you were. I knew that, at that moment, we would be really good friends."

She began to blush and she said, "Thank you…again…" He smiled and sighed before he spoke again.

"The last time I felt this safe, I was in my mother's arms…And now, years later, I'm digging this feeling from deep inside…And I have you to thank for that Matsuru…"

She smiled and he looked down at his watch. "Oh my gosh, it's later than I thought…I have to go…Kyle wanted to show me something…" He slid off the edge and onto the roof top. "Oh, okay." She said.

_I'll admit it, I'm very sad to see him go. I was really beginning to enjoy our time together…Maybe the reason I don't want him to leave is because I'm afraid he won't come back._

He saw the look on her face and he lifted her chin with his finger. He looked into her eyes and she saw the true in them shine at their fullest as he said, "I will be back…I promise…" She smiled and said, "I know…I trust you…" And without warning, he leaned down and planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips. He smiled and walked through the door.

She was stunned. She felt a tingling sensation in her lips and she lightly touched them.

_That…that was my very first kiss! But…the weirder thing yet is that…I'm glad it was him who took it…_ She sat on the ledge for a few minutes more thinking of Cole and the look in his eyes when he looked at her.

_I…I think I really like him…I'm sure of it…I like Cole Sanders!_

She smiled and jumped down to the rooftop. She was so bubbly as she walked down the stairs. _Nothing could ruin my day…Nothing!_

She walked back to the ground floor and pondered many things in her mind.

She walked by Ms. Karsen's classroom and Matsuru saw Ms. Karsen inside. She saw Matsuru and smiled kindly as she took off her reading glasses. "Hello Matsuru."

"Hello Ms. Karsen. Still working on vacation, huh?"

"Yes, sadly…Hey, Mr. Hobbs wanted to see you about something. Just pop by his office, okay?"

"I will…Thanks Ms. Karsen." They smiled at each other and Matsuru walked down toward ' office, wondering what he could possibly want with her. _Maybe he found out that Cole kissed me…But how could he have found out so soon?_

Dread and fear ran through her as she opened the door to the secretary's office, which was connected to Mr. Hobb's office. The secretary, Mrs. Grover, looked up when she heard the door open. When she saw Matsuru, she said, "Oh good, you're here. He's still in his prior meeting, so you'll have to wait." She pointed to a line of chairs against the opposite wall and Matsuru walked over to them. She selected one and sat down.

The minutes ticked by and Matsuru began to get very nervous. She looked at the blurry outlines of two people from the blurry glass in Mr. Hobbs' office. One let out a very creepy laugh and spoke obnoxiously, but not loud enough for Matsuru to hear what was being said. That was alright, but who was the other person?

_At this point, I don't care who it is, I just wish they would hurry up so I can get in there and get it over and done with!_

It was at that moment that the office door creaked and Matsuru saw walk out. He spotted her and smiled as his pompous voice rang through the somewhat silent office.

"Ah, good! Matsuru my friend, there is someone that I want you to meet!" Matsuru looked at the doorway and was stunned at what she saw.

A red-headed woman was standing in the door way. Her hair was tied up into two pigtails by two red ribbons. On her neck was a red ribbon with a bell on it. The woman was what looked like to Matsuru, an older version of herself, except her eyes, which were brown.

Matsuru's next word was barely audible as it came with tears. In a whisper, she said one word with such emotion that she had not used in years.

"Mom?"

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Well, I hope everyone is ready because I'm going to not be able to update for quite some time because I have mid-terms to study for…Plus, I have a review quota, and if it's not reached, I'm gonna cry for one, and two, I won't review until the quota is don't get mad or upset, it's just, I put a lot into this fanfiction, as well as my other one, and only like, three reviews arrive...I just wanna know if people really like my stories...

Hope You All Enjoy!

daisukezgirl13


	4. Romantic Goodbye

daisukezgirl13: Hey guys! Well, this chapter has been two months in the making. Hope those who have been waiting for it, and those who just are randomly reading this story (as well as those etc. people….) enjoy!

Matsuru: Can I do the disclaimer?

daisukezgirl13: Why not? Go ahead…

Matsuru: daisukezgirl13 owns me, Matsuru, and Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi. Enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 4: Romantic Goodbye

"Mom?"

The red headed woman smiled and said in a kind voice, "Yes Matsuru." She smiled as Matsuru ran into her embrace. They laughed and cried as they both finally got to hug one another for the first time in almost fourteen years.

Matsuru pulled from the embrace and looked at her mother with hungry eyes, trying to savor every detail, afraid that she would wake up and find out that this was all a dream.

"Matsuru, this is your mother. Her name is Ichigo Momomiya. That makes your name-"

"Matsuru Momomiya…"Matsuru interrupted with a smile. Ichigo looked at her daughter and smiled as well. She sat down and said, "You look just like I had imagined." They smiled at each other again and Ichigo spoke again. "Now, I don't mean to rush you like this, but I suggest you pack your bags tonight so that we can catch our flight tomorrow."

"Flight? Where are we going to?" Matsuru asked very curiously.

"We're going home…To Japan." Matsuru's eyes grew wide and she exclaimed, "Japan?! Like, halfway around the world?!" Her mother nodded and Matsuru had to sit down. Many thoughts flew at tremendous speeds inside her head.

She now had the mother she had always wanted, but she had to move halfway around the world to live with her. She would have to leave her whole life behind…And that included her friends…Which included Cole…What was she going to tell the only real friends that she ever had? She sighed and looked at her mother as she asked her question.

"What time does our flight leave tomorrow?" Matsuru asked, trying to remember to breathe.

"Well," Ichigo began, thinking. "We have to be at the airport at 2:00 for our 5:00 flight. We'll be leaving here tomorrow at 1:00 so that we get past all the mid-day traffic and all of the people at O'Hare. So, I will be staying at the hotel down the block. I think that you should begin to pack as soon as you can because I don't know how long it will take you." Ichigo looked down at her daughter and she could see the confusion in her eyes. She put her hands on her daughter's shoulder and sighed.

"I know that this is a big thing that is just thrown onto you, but now you have me to talk to. Not to mention that you can still talk to you friends back here over the phone. And, if you're anything like me, you'll make new friends in no time!" Matsuru smiled and stood up as she said, "Well, I'm gonna go pack. I mean, I only have the rest of tonight to do so, right?" She halfheartedly smiled and began to walk to the door. Just before she walked out, she said something that she had always wanted to say her whole life.

"See you tomorrow…Mom." Ichigo smiled as Matsuru exited the room. Mr. Hobbs smiled and said, "She's a lot like you Mrs. Momomiya."

"No," replied Ichigo. "She's just like her father."

Matsuru walked into her bedroom and was immediately jumped on by Sam.

"Oh em gee! Are you okay? I heard that Mr. Hobbs wanted to see you…What for? Did he hurt you? Because, if he hurt you, I will march right into the little office of his and give that dumb, bald man a piece of my mind!" Matsuru held Sam still and she smiled as she said, "Oh Sami, thanks for your concern, but not much happened…Except that my long lost mother came back to claim me!" Sam stood stunned for a second before screamed in joy and hugged Matsuru. The two girls smiled, laughed, and cried for a few minutes before Sam released Matsuru and sat down on her own bed.

"So, where are you gonna live, because, if it's close by, you definitely have to come visit everyday!" Sam laughed and Matsuru sat down on the bed, suddenly becoming very serious.

_I forgot!_ Matsuru thought. _How am I gonna tell her that I'm moving all the way around the world? How am I gonna tell her, or Kyle…or Cole? My only friends…_

"Yo, Ru? Hey, wake up there!" Sam waved her hand in Matsuru's vision and she looked at her very seriously.

"What's up?" Sam asked. "What? Are you moving across the country?"

"No…" Matsuru sighed. "Not across the country…Around the world…to Japan…" The smiled was wiped clean off of Sam's face and she moved over to sit on Matsuru's bed next to Matsuru. Sam sighed, thought of what to say, and gently hugged Matsuru as she spoke.

"Ru…I'm happy for you…But, I'm really gonna miss you…"Sam had tears roll down her cheeks as she put on a weak smile. Matsuru's own vision began to blur. They both sobbed and embraced.

A few minutes later, they pulled apart and wiped their faces.

"So, you're not mad at me for leaving?" Matsuru asked.

"Look, are you still gonna talk to us?" Sam smirked.

"Well, yeah…I could never forget you guys." Matsuru said with a small smile.

"There's your answer Ru…" Sam said with a wink. They quickly embraced again, and Matsuru informed Sam, "I'm leaving tomorrow. It's 3:00 now, so I have the rest of this afternoon and tonight to pack…Sami, you wanna help me pack?" Sam gave an enthusiastic nod and they giggled as the packing began.

Three and a half hours, and many memories later, Matsuru sat on her bed with three suitcases at the foot of her bed, and her carry on with her drawing supplies by her on the bed. Sam lay down on her own bed and exhaled heavily.

"I'm tired…and hungry!" Sam said as she sat up and looked at Matsuru as she continued. "Seriously chick, I missed dinner to help you pack! Look, I love you and all…but I'm gonna go find some food. You coming with?" Matsuru shook her head and Sam shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Sam sighed as she walked out of the room. Matsuru looked around the room and she sighed. The room seemed so empty with all of her things now packed away. The sunlight cast dark shadows as it began to vanish on the horizon. The place was unnaturally empty. Matsuru sighed and laid back. She looked over at her carry on and she had the sudden desire to draw something. She pulled out her sketch pad, her pencil, her sharpener, and her eraser. She sharpened her pencil, and bit on the eraser before she proceeded to draw.

About twenty minutes later, Matsuru put her pencil away and looked down at her picture.

It was a beautiful black and white sketch of her and Cole. He was hugging her waist from behind and she was reaching back, hugging his neck.. Matsuru was wearing a red tank top and a jean mini skirt while Cole was wearing a white t-shirt and khaki shorts that went to his knees. The young couple was smiling; with joy and love in their eyes…true love.

Matsuru hugged the picture and decided she would find Cole and give him the picture...as a gift to remember her by. She got up from her bed, got a folder from a shelf and she placed the picture inside, to protect it. She then exited the room in search of Cole.

As she walked down the hall, she realized that she had no idea where Cole might be. She didn't even know where his room was. She went down to the ground floor, looked in the dining hall, but he wasn't there. She then walked up into the boy's dorm hallway, looking around and hoping that Cole would come bursting from one of the rooms.

He didn't…but Kyle did.

"Hey Matsuru! What are you doing up in the boy's hall?" Kyle asked as he walked over to her and leaned against the wall beside her. She hugged the folder close to her and responded. "I'm looking for Cole…have you seen him?" Kyle thought a minute and he answered, "No…I haven't seen him in about, four hours." Matsuru thanked him for the information and continued on her search. She thought of one more place that he might be. She just hoped he was there.

She walked down the hall and up the roof door. She unlocked it and walked onto the roof. But to her dismay, she was the only one there. The door closed behind her and she suddenly had a shiver run down her spine as a small breeze blew. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to generate some warmth. She walked over to the ledge and sat down, bringing her knees to her chin and putting the folder against her chest. She began to think about all that had happen to her.

_My mother that I have always wanted finally came back for me…I'm happy…aren't I? I've always wanted this, but a part of me is really going to miss everything about this place. I'm going to miss Sami, Kyle, but mostly Cole. I mean, I hardly know about this new life that I'm being thrust into. I know so little about my own life. Do I have siblings? What are my relatives like? What characteristics might I have inherited from my mother or father? Where is my father? Is he alive? When's my real birthday? And most importantly…Why did I dream about my mother and that green haired man? Also, why did I draw them together? Is that man my father? And why was my mother in that outfit along with those other women?_ She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees as the wind bit at her nose.

Suddenly, Matsuru felt a sweatshirt being draped over her shoulders. She grabbed the folder, put her knees down, and turned around to find Cole smiling at her. She smiled back and embraced him as she said, "Thanks for the sweatshirt Cole." He smiled and sat on the ledge as he replied, "You're welcome. I thought you might be cold sitting up here…Come to think of it, why _are_ you sitting up here?" She smirked and said, "I could ask you the very same thing, hm?" He laughed and said, "I was looking for you." She smiled and said, "That's coincidental because I looking for you too…I wanted to give you this!" She held out the folder, a huge grin spreading across her face and Cole took it from her outstretched hands. He opened it and when he saw the beautifully drawn sketch inside, he was astonished.

"Wow Matsuru, this is amazing! I love it!" She smiled and he looked at her a little funny. She cocked her head and asked, "What is it?" He looked at the picture and said, "Not that I love this picture, but why give it to me now? It's a bit random, you know?" She sighed and thought, _I guess it's now or never to break the news to him…_ She sighed again, taking her time to collect her thoughts before she began to speak.

"I…I want you to have something to remember me by…when I leave…"

"Leave?" He asked, now looking very concerned into her eyes, which were focused on the street far below. "Where are you going and why?" He asked touching her shoulder lightly. She touched his big hand and looked at it as she spoke quietly. "My mother finally came to claim me after fourteen years tonight. She said that we lived far away and that our plane leaves tomorrow. And…I'm moving to Japan." There suddenly fell an uneasy silence over the two for a while. Nothing was heard except for the sounds of the city far below, and the faint breeze which blew over the roof top.

Finally, Cole sighed and wrapped his arms around Matsuru's shoulders before he whispered into her ear. "I really hope that you and your mother are very happy Matsuru." Matsuru looked up and saw his cheeks shimmering where fresh tears had just rolled down them. She hugged him back and reached up to wipe away his tears, also wiping her own away.

"I…I won't forget you Cole…I'll call and write every chance I get…I promise…" She kissed his cheek and they hugged each other very tightly, knowing that it would be very long until there shared a moment like this again.

"I trust you Matsuru…I do…" He whispered against her cheek. Matsuru felt his warm breath spread across her cheek and she closed her eyes, trying to memorize every touch and every smell of his…

She smiled as she laid her head in her lap. He stroked her hair and the motion began to help Matsuru drift to sleep. As she was on the cusp of sleep, she whispered very quietly, "I love you Cole Sanders." There was no hesitation or doubt in her voice, just love. He pushed the hair from her rosy cheek as he kissed it. While his lips lingered near her skin, he whispered even quieter, "I love you too Matsuru." She smiled and the two sat there making one of the best memories that they would ever come to remember.

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D: Well, finally chappie four….hope you readers enjoy! And please review!

Matsuru: Please do so!

Both: See ya next chappie!


	5. Tears

daisukezgirl13: Hey guys! I am SO sorry that I haven't updated in FOREVER! But, I just got over the flu and a nasal infection so, I needed lots of sleep. And, I have exams soon, so this'll probably be the last chapter for about a month. I am SO sorry about this guys! I will do my best to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! Good news, this chapter has a **lot** of fluffy between Cole and Matsuru, so enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

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Chapter 5: Tears

Matsuru opened her eyes and sat up slowly as she stretched her long arms over her head. She yawned and looked around to find herself sitting in her bed inside her bedroom. She was very surprised to say the least. The last thing that she remembered the night before, she had fallen asleep in Cole's lap on the roof.

Matsuru heard the bathroom door open and she looked over to see Sam walking into the room, fully dressed and holding a cup of water. She smiled and said very loudly, "Oh hey Ru! It's a good thing you woke up because if you hadn't…" She left the end open as she lifted the glass of water to show Matsuru. She got the hint and swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes before looking at Sam. She thought a second and then asked, "Sami, how did I get back in the room last night?" Sam gave a grin to Matsuru as she began to drink some water from the glass, walking over to sit beside her.

"Well Ru, it was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Cole carried you in here, tucked you in and kissed your forehead and everything!" She giggled and walked back into the bathroom, still giggling at the memory. Matsuru gently touched her forehead and she could just imagine Cole's delicate lips pressing the spot that she was touching. She smiled at the thought and looked over at the clock, quickly breaking her daydream.

_11:30? Did I really sleep that late!? I have to get ready right now! _

She got off of the bed, grabbed a red and black t-shirt, jeans, her black converses, and her black sweatshirt, which she had laid out the night before, and proceeded to get dressed.

From the bathroom, Sam spoke to Matsuru through a muffled voice. Matsuru assumed that she was brushing her teeth, which made it extremely hard to understand her sentence.

"Soch wacht dhid jou anm Chole jou lascht nigcht?" Matsuru looked up and took a minute to try and decipher the sentence. When she couldn't, she asked, "What did you just say?" She heard Sam spitting out a mouth full of toothpaste and she came out of the bathroom, brandishing her toothbrush like a sword as she spoke.

"I _said_, 'so what did you and Cole do last night'?" Matsuru blushed and quickly busied herself with getting dressed. Sam stared at her intensely and finally, Matsuru answered.

"We…we just talked, and that's it." Sam raised an eyebrow as she straddled that desk chair. She scoffed as she raked her hand through her brown hair and said, "Ru, that's bull and you know it. No way after you guys 'just talked' is he gonna kiss you on your forehead like he did last night." Matsuru smiled, knowing that she couldn't win, and she sat on the bed as she answered Sam.

"Well, I went looking for him last night, to give him a sketch of us that I had drawn. So, I went up to the roof to see if he was there and he wasn't. So I just sat and after a while, he came up and gave me his sweatshirt to wear. We talked a bit, and I told him I was leaving. He was okay with it and before I fell asleep in his lap, I told him that I loved him. And just before I went unconscious, he told me he loved me back." Sam gasped and jumped up. She squealed in joy and began talking in a singsong voice.

"Oh em gee! You did not! Oh em GEE! I am so proud of you missy!" She gave Matsuru a rib-crushing hug and squealed again. Matsuru laughed and sat Sam on the bed next to her, trying to get her to sit still. Matsuru sighed and felt a nagging question in the back of her mind, which she said aloud to Sam.

"Sami, I just have one thing about this relationship…Will it work out being that we'll be on separate continents? I mean, I really like this guy Sami, and I don't want to lose him." Sam patted her knee and said, "Don't worry so much Ru, everything will work out…you'll still talk to him! And if your mom is rich, you can come visit him sometime this summer. So you see? Don't worry so much." Matsuru smiled and nodded as she said, "You know, you're right. I will make this relationship work for my love and his, NYA!" Matsuru jumped up and punched the air. Sam looked at Matsuru very cautiously before she backed away and said slowly, "Okaaaaaay…"She walked back into the bathroom and Matsuru took a minute to collect her thoughts.

"_Nya"? What was that all about? It was like I didn't know what I was doing…whatever…Maybe it's just nerves or something…_

She shrugged off the feeling and thought as she went into the bathroom to get ready.

"It's time…I wish it wasn't…"

"I know…I am really going to miss you Ru!"

"And I'm going to miss you so much Sami!"

The two girls embraced, both on the cusp of tears, and both unable to hold them back any longer as they spilled down their cheeks. Kyle squeezed between them and hugged Matsuru very tightly, his short, black, and spiked hair poking her scalp as he said dramatically, "Oh Matsuru, don't go! We can't live without you!" The three of them laughed and Kyle said seriously, "I am going to miss you Matsuru…Don't have too much fun without us, okay?" He stepped back as Matsuru nodded and gave one last glance around.

Just Sam, Kyle, and herself were in the foyer. The cab was outside, all packed with Ichigo's and Matsuru's bags. The cabbie was inside the cab and Ichigo was outside, waiting for her daughter to say her final goodbyes to her friends. Matsuru looked around, but she didn't see _him_ anywhere. She sighed and bowed her head sadly as she said in a low and quivering voice, "He's not coming to say goodbye…Sami, he's not coming." Sami hugged her again and said, "He'll be here…I know he will…"

The cabbie honked the horn and Ichigo called, "Matsuru, we have to get going soon or we'll miss our flight! We still have to get through security!" Matsuru turned around and waved to her mother to say that she would be out in a minute. She then turned back to face Sam and Kyle. She gave a small smile, hugged the both of them, and said, "I'll miss you guys so much…I'll write as often as I can, okay? I promise…I will." Sam nodded and Kyle did too. Matsuru let them go and gave one last smile as she turned around to walk to the cab. Only one solemn thought passed through her now vacant mind.

_He didn't come…He didn't say goodbye…Why? What did I do wrong? Why didn't he come?_ A single tear rolled down her cheek and she let it fall.

She had her hand about to open the door to the cab when she heard a voice ring our clearly behind her.

"Matsuru! Please, wait!" She turned around quickly to see Cole sprinting towards her with a desperate look on his face and a folder in his hands. She heard her mother giggle behind her and she heard the cab door close. Matsuru smiled at her mother's way of giving her some privacy.

He stood in front of her, panting but smiling. She said in a happy tone, "I'm so glad that you came." He looked at her like she was crazy as he responded, "I couldn't just let you leave me without saying goodbye now, could I?" She shook her head and they smiled. More tears fell down her cheeks as she said, "You are making this so hard for me to leave you Cole." He wiped away a stray tear and said softly, "Why are you crying Matsuru? I love you." She cried more at his words and she hugged him tightly.

Inside the cab, Ichigo had a memory come to her mind at Cole's words from many years ago of her and a certain green haired alien.

_Ichigo watched as Deep Blue plunged his sword into Kish. He let him fall to the ground like a doll and Ichigo ran to him. She picked up his shaking body and held it close, feeling her hot tears of sadness falling down her cheeks and she saw the blood on his pale skin. He mumbled some words, but she was too busy listening to her beating heart and her own quavering voice as she said his name over and over again._

"_I'm lucky to have this moment." He said, collapsing in her arms heavily._

"_Kish!"_

"_Ichigo?" He reached his hand up and wiped away the fresh tears rolling down her scratched cheeks. His breathing became shallow and raspy as he continued talking._

"_Wh-why are you crying? Ichigo?" His eyes began to slide in and out of focus. He grabbed onto his life for a few more seconds. Ichigo felt his body growing more heavy in her weak and shaking arms. Kish smiled and spoke again, more quietly this time._

"_Ichigo…I'll tell you something good." He began gasping for air and Ichigo was desperate to hear his last words._

"_Wh-what is it?" she asked desperately. He reached up and wrapped his long arms around her head. "Kish?" she asked worried that he was expending too much energy. But, he had a smile on his face as he brought his face close to hers. His hot breath was blowing on Ichigo's cheek as he spoke again._

"_I love you. Ichigo…" He was about to kiss her, but he pulled away and fell back into Ichigo's arms as he shook his head, coming up with reason._

"_Anyway…Holding you, even just for a moment is precious." The hand that he was caressing her cheek with went limp and fell to the ground. Ichigo watched the color fade from his cheeks and she knew that he was dead. Her heart was torn apart. She screamed his name, but she heard nothing. All that she could think was if she was worthy enough to save. She cried as her world fell apart._

Ichigo shook the memory from her head. She hadn't thought about the memories of that final battle for years, so why was she thinking about them now? She looked at Cole and thought, _Is it that boy? He seems so…familiar…_

Outside the cab, the two let go of each other and Cole handed her the folder as he wiped away another one of her tears.

"Here Matsuru, I wanted to give this to you, to remember me by." She took the folder and opened it slowly. When she saw the paper inside, she almost cried again in joy.

It was a beautiful colored sketch of herself that showed her head and shoulders. It looked like a masterpiece. Her golden eyes sparkled, hinting at almost ocher, and they accentuated the light pink blush on her smooth and flawless cheeks. Her read hair had some body to it as it bounced around her face, contrasting nicely against her pale skin. Her lips were red, smooth, and perfect against her pale skin tone.

She looked up at Cole and said, "I really can't think of how to thank you at all…" He leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. She blushed wildly and he whispered on her cheek, "This will be just enough, I'm sure." She blushed even deeper red and he smiled. She looked to the picture and said quietly, "I had no idea that you could draw too…You're too perfect to be real…Or too perfect for me at least." His smile vanished and he said, "No, don't you even dare say or think that again. You are the perfect one. Beauty, kindness, determination, artistic talent, gracefulness; you have it all and more!" She smiled at his words and he smiled as well. She traced the lines in the page and said, "I will cherish this forever, I promise." He grinned and said in a playful tone, "Oh but wait, there's more." She grinned back and said, "More? What more could you give me? I already have it all?" He pointed to the folder and said, "Your next prize is inside the pouch…Go ahead and look." She looked at him and he smiled. Slowly she reached her hand into the pouch and all the way at the bottom, she felt a metal chain. Her expression read surprise and curiosity as she pulled the chain out. When she saw what was at hanging from the chain, she did cry this time.

It was a silver heart pendent with intricate designs on it, surrounding what was in the center. In the center was a real diamond. It was so beautiful and it shined in the sunlight, casting every color on Matsuru's arm. She smiled and tried to find her breath as she spoke again.

"Cole…I…Thank you…I mean…Where did you get it?" His beautiful sapphire blue eyes looked down into her golden ones. He smiled but she saw past the smile and saw the flicker of sadness in his eyes. But, just as quickly as she saw it, it was gone. He put a hand in his pocket and answered her question.

"It was given to me by my mother just before she died…" This time, his smile faded as the sadness overtook his eyes and face. The memories that caused the sadness flooded in and he spoke them aloud to Matsuru.

"She gave it to me on the hospital seconds before she died. She said to me, 'Cole, I want you to give this to the one you care most for. Your father gave it to me, and now I pass it to you. Please take care of it.' And just after she handed it to me, she died." He looked to the ground, unable to meet Matsuru's caring gaze any longer as he swam through the memories, drowning in them.

"The night they died…They never did wear their seatbelts…We were going out to my weekly art lessons. I hated those lessons, even though I was good at drawing because I worked best alone. I always argued with my parents about going, but more with my mom. She was the one that enrolled me in those classes because she though that it would be good for my 'artistic growth'.

"That night, I had lost the argument again about going to the lessons, so we were driving there. I was 13, and my attitude showed it. We drove and we were only three blocks away." He clenched his fist as he was overtaken by his most painful memory.

"We went through a green light and a drunk drove through the red, plowing into the front of our car. We spun off the road and the front of the car was plowed into a building, getting completely crushed. We were all injured really badly, but my parents had critical damage. I got out of the car and had someone call 911. When we got to the hospital, my father died as soon as they put him on the operating table. They did what they could with my mother, but she just didn't hold on after she heard that dad had died. She made sure that I was taken care of before she called me in. She gave me the necklace and died."

Tears had overflowed from his eyes throughout his story and said angrily, "It was my fault…Somehow, it was all my fault." Matsuru hugged him tightly and said, "No it was not! It was that drunk's fault! Don't you even think that you had any part in that at all!" He hugged her back and she felt him go less tense under her hands as they rubbed up and down his back. They pulled apart and he had on a crooked smile as he said, "I am so glad that I met you Matsuru…Here, let me help you put on the necklace."

She handed the necklace to him and held up her hair. He unhooked the clamp, laid it around her pale neck, and put the clamp back together. She let her hair down and touched the necklace tenderly.

"It's beautiful…" She said with a smile. He gave a smile that spread into his eyes as he said, "Yes, you are very beautiful." She blushed deep red and he kissed her cheek, pulling her into a tight embrace, whispering wisps of promise into her ear.

"No matter what happens Matsuru, I love you." She clung him as she choked out between sobs, "I-love you and…I'll miss you…so much!" She kissed his cheek and they pulled apart, smiling at each other. He reached past her and opened the cab door. She climbed in and he closed the door softly. She reached her hand and placed it on the window. He placed his hand over hers and mouthed 'I love you.' She let her tears fall around her as she mouthed back 'I love you too.' The cab pulled away and Matsuru looked at Cole until the cab rounded the corner and she could see him no longer.

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daisukezgirl13: Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please read and review, please! I will try to update as son as I can, I promise!

Until Next Time!


	6. Traveling

daisukezgirl13: Hey readers! Well, this is a long chapter in my story…I am sad because I got ONE review from my last chapter. It made me very sad…-sob, sob-Am I not doing a good job?-sob, sob-

Matsuru: Hey, don't get upset…Guys, please review, I'm begging you…She is gonna be out of it for a bit, at least until she gets some reviews to show her that her hard, HARD work on this story isn't going to waste…Okay, down to the chapter…DISCLAIMER: Dasiukezgirl13 owns me, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

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Chapter 6: Traveling

The cab drove for a very long time, hitting the traffic that the women had so hoped to avoid. There was an accident on one of the main roads, taking a half an hour to get past. It had taken in total an hour to get to the airport. And then, it took an hour and a half to get through security. It seemed that everyone was traveling at that exact moment. After they got their bags and totally through security, Ichigo looked to Matsuru and asked, "Are you hungry?" Matsuru shook her head very quickly and said, "Starved!" Ichigo laughed and said, "Okay, let's go get some food."

After the hour that it had taken them to eat, the two women collapsed on some seats by their gate. Ichigo didn't move from her slouching position. Matsuru sat up and though about all the questions that were brimming up inside her. She looked over to her mother and she sighed, finally her mind overflowed.

"Hey…mom?" Ichigo sat up and looked over into Matsuru's eyes as she answered, "Yes honey? What is it you need?" Matsuru brought her hands together in her lap and she twisted them together. She wanted to start out with just one or two questions, but she ended up spilling them all out at once.

"I just…wanted to know a bit more about my new life. I mean, do I have any siblings? What kind of things might I have inherited from you or my father? When's my real birthday? What are my relatives like? And…" She twisted her hands together more tightly and almost whispered her last question.

"And…where is my father? Is he alive? Did he…leave us? Who is he?" Matsuru looked at Ichigo and waited for a response.

Ichigo sat up and began to think. _Wow, she is very curious…But she does have the right to know. Though, I do want to protect her from that world. I won't tell her everything…just enough to suffice her interest. _She sighed, raked her hand through her bangs, and she looked over at her daughter before she began her answer.

"Well Matsuru, to answer one of your very many questions, no, you are an only child. But, three of my closest friends who are like your aunts had four kids in total. I am sure that you will get along with them very well! Your 'aunts' names are Lettuce Shirogane, Mint Aizawa, Pudding Momachi, and Zakuro Uachi. Mint never married or had kids, but my other three friends did. Lettuce, who married another close friend of mine, Ryou Shirogane, had fraternal twins named Sakura and Saka. Pudding married a childhood friend named Hitachi Momachi and they had a daughter named Ayame. And finally, Zakuro who is a model married her photographer and they had a daughter named Kaori.

"We live not far away from where I work. Our house is quite large actually and you have your own bathroom and room to do with what you wish.

"I work at a small café called Café Mew Mew. It is owned by Ryou Shirogane and another close friend of mine Keiichiro Akasaka. I work there with Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro as waitresses. We've worked there since we were in grade school. I started when I was 12, Mint was 12, Lettuce was 13, Pudding 11, and Zakuro 14. The Café is very special to all of us.

"Lettuce and Ryou were named as your godparents when you were born. All of the girls wanted to be, but we settled on Ryou and Lettuce. They seemed to be the best choice. Lettuce is very caring and you'll see what I mean when you meet her.

"You're real birthday is May 31. You were 15 this May. I only spent a year with you, so I don't know if anything you can do or like is passed down from me to you. I do know that you were such a joy to all of my friends. They all asked to baby-sit you even when I didn't need them to. You were always happy and always made everyone around you smile no matter what. I don't know if it's true, but I think you are still able to do that."

Ichigo took a huge breath and waited for a minute before she began the last part of her answer.

"Your father…He was…his name was…Masaya Aoyama. He was tall with black hair and brown eyes. He loved me and I loved him so much. When you were born, something happened to him and he left for a year. When he came back after that year…well, he was very abusive and he had quite a temper. He came back and threatened to kill us. He hit me and I protected you from his wrath. I wanted you to grow up safe and away from him so with the help of my friend Ryou, I snuck away and took you to Chicago. Masaya soon disappeared after that."

Ichigo sat back and was satisfied to see that she had left Matsuru speechless. Matsuru sat back, a lot of things going through her mind at incredible speeds. She had gotten all of then answers that she had wanted and more. She had learned about her family and more about her father than she had hoped for. She was shocked to hear about his abusiveness, but it made the perfect reason as to why her mother had left her in Chicago.

The voice over the intercom rang out clear as the woman spoke.

"Flight 707, Chicago to London is now boarding. Passengers please report to the terminal when your section is called. First class first please." Ichigo stood and said, "Come on Matsuru…That's us." Matsuru raised an eyebrow as they walked and questioned, "First class? Isn't that really expensive?" Ichigo nodded as she handed a blonde stewardess their tickets and replied, "My friend Ryou is very rich and he gave us the money for the tickets." The woman handed her the tickets and they walked down the sloping hallway into the plane.

Ichigo found their seats and they sat down, Matsuru by the window and Ichigo in the aisle. Matsuru was very impressed. The seats were comfortable, they appeared larger than normal seats, and it looked a lot nicer. A brunette stewardess came up and asked if she could get the two women anything after takeoff. Ichigo asked for a glass of strawberry iced tea and a pillow, and Matsuru asked for soda and a pillow as well.

Soon, the plane rumbled to life and the captain's voice filled the cabin. "Hello everyone! I am your captain James Polan. Today, the flight is headed to London. The skies are clear the whole way and there should be no turbulence. Please leave all window shades open and keep all tray tables up until after take off. Please look to the front of the plane as the stewardess' go over the safety procedures."

After all of the safety procedures were gone over, the plane rumbled louder and drove slowly to the runway. Matsuru watched as the scenery passed slowly out her window. She wanted to savor the moment, but she was very scared.

The plane lined up and roared as it began to crawl forward. Then, the plane lurched very fast as its wheels left the ground and it began to climb upward. The roar of the engine was very loud as the plane climbed miles into the clear air. Matsuru closed her eyes and grabbed the armrest and her necklace very tightly.

After a few minutes, the plane leveled from its upward slant and its engines seemed to get a little quieter. Matsuru opened her eyes and her knuckles were white. She unclenched them and let go of the necklace.

The brunette stewardess returned in a few minutes with drinks, pillows, and blankets. The two women thanked her and they pulled down their tables to place the drinks on. Matsuru sipped her soda and pulled out her sketch pad and folder from her carry on bag. She pulled out the picture that Cole had drawn for her and looked at it. Ichigo smiled and said, "Wow, that's good! Who drew that? Was it that boy, Cole, from the orphanage?" Matsuru nodded and Ichigo gave a smirk as she nudged her in the side and said, "He was cute!" Matsuru stared at her and said unbelievingly, "Mom!" They giggled and Matsuru put the picture into the back of her sketch pad. She flipped through the more recent pictures and Ichigo looked over and commented.

"Wow, those look-" But Ichigo stopped when she noticed exactly who was drawn. She saw that it was her best friends. She asked if she could see the pad and Matsuru handed it to her. Ichigo flipped past her friends and looked over Pai and Taruto. She looked over at Matsuru and asked, "When did you draw these four women and the two guys?" Matsuru looked up and thought before she responded.

"Well, I drew the purple haired woman about six months ago. The yellow haired woman I drew about three months ago, and the green haired woman about a month ago. The blue haired woman, I drew about two days ago. And, those two," she pointed to Pai and Taruto. "I drew two days ago too. I had no idea why I drew them. They're so alien, right?" Ichigo gave a nervous laugh and said, "Yes, they look weird! Ahaha!" Ichigo tried to stay calm, but when she flipped to the next picture, she felt like she was going to cry.

It was Kish hugging her and she was in her Mew form. She looked into Kish's eyes and their intensity was burning through Ichigo. She closed the sketch pad and quickly mumbled, "Excuse me." She got up and hurried to the bathroom.

When she had locked the door, she quickly whipped out her pink cell phone and quickly dialed a number. She waited and waited as the other line rang and finally, the other person picked up. The person barely got out "hello" before Ichigo said frantically, "We have a problem…" The person was calm as they asked a question and Ichigo responded, "She drew us…Like, detailed pictures." The person asked another question and Ichigo answered. "Yes, the other girls, Pai and Taruto…and me and Kish." The other person sighed and said something calmly. Ichigo asked, "Well…I don't want to make her go through that. I want her to grow up in a somewhat normal lifestyle." The other person sighed and agreed. They said something else and Ichigo said, "We'll talk when we get back to Tokyo. See you then." The other end fell silent and Ichigo hung up. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Matsuru, please forgive me." She sighed again and walked out of the bathroom and back to her seat. She buckled back in and Matsuru asked, "Mom, are you okay?" Ichigo nodded and threw on a tired smile as she said, "No no, I'm fine!" Matsuru threw an unbelieving look at her mother before she leaned back in her seat and sighed.

Minutes later, the faint hum of the engines padded Matsuru's consciousness and her eyes became heavy as she lowered the shade and fell asleep.

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Matsuru: So guys, that's chapter 6. Now, I'm going to be acting in daisukezgirl13's place until she gets back on top of things. Meaning, until she gets some reviews. So, please do so!


	7. Masaya Aoyama

Matsuru: Hey guys!

D: Woo hoo wamu! Mother mouse!

Matsuru: Well, as you can see, daisukezgirl is still out of it because she got one review on her last chapter…I'm afraid that if this continues, she'll discontinue this story and I'll have to institutionalize her.

D: Mommy, I want a lollipop and cherries and strawberries are beautiful!

Matsuru: Guys, you have to save her! DISCLAIMER: Dasiukezgirl13 owns me, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi. Onto the chappie!

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Chapter 7: Masaya Aoyama

"Hey Matsuru, honey, wake up!" Matsuru felt her mother lightly touch her shoulder and shake her a bit. Matsuru felt her head loll to one side and snap up quickly. She looked around and saw everyone around her getting up and grabbing their belongings. She rubbed her eyes and said in a slurred voice, "…we in London?" Ichigo nodded and Matsuru unbuckled. She grabbed her bag and slowly followed her mother off of the plane.

The two women walked down the metal hallway connected to the plane and out into the lobby. It was adorned very tacky, like any airport. The stiff carpet under the women's feet crunched weirdly. Ichigo looked around and walked over, Matsuru following, to a service desk. Ichigo cleared her throat and the brunette woman at the desk turned around and said in her heavy British accent, "Hello. How may I help you two ladies today?" Ichigo smiled a little and spoke a little uncertain.

"Um…I was wondering if you could point us to where flight 137 to Tokyo is leaving." The woman smiled and her fingers began to fly across the keyboard. Not a few seconds later, the woman looked up and said, "Flight 137 is leaving from gate 17, terminal 3. The flight was delayed a bit so you'll have to wait for about a half an hour. To get to the gate, go out of those doors to the left," she pointed to the direction she spoke about. "And then you keep walking straight, following the signs leading to gate 17." Ichigo nodded uncomfortably and thanked the woman. She and Matsuru walked out the doors and down a glass paneled hallway.

In a few minutes, the two women sat down on the seats in front of gate 17, terminal 3. The plane wasn't there yet so the women waited. Matsuru looked over at her mother as she looked at the people speaking around her in British accents. Ichigo shied away and Matsuru raised her eyebrow. Ichigo looked at her and asked, "What?" Matsuru shook her head and questioned, "Why is it that you looked so uncomfortable when talking to or around people with British accents?" Ichigo gave a chagrinned smile and said, "Oh, you noticed that huh? Well, I can handle people with little accents or no accent at all. But, because I grew up speaking Japanese and I only learned English recently, I have trouble with speaking to and understanding people talk with accents." Matsuru nodded in understanding and suddenly had a thought strike her.

"Mom, how will I be able to understand and communicate with everyone when I speak English?" She looked very concerned and Ichigo laughed at her expression.

"Oh, don't worry about it honey. Do you remember my friend Ryou Shirogane?" Matsuru nodded, wondering what he could have to do with her language skills. Ichigo continued. "Well, Ryou is sort of…and inventor-scientist I guess you could say. He invented a device that stimulates the nerves in a specific part of your brain and can either help you to speak and understand English or Japanese. That's how I learned English, although, Japanese is the stronger of my two languages because it is what I speak normally. For you, it'll be English that's stronger but, you'll be able to converse and understand Japanese well enough." Ichigo finished speaking and then, she and Matsuru sat in silence, both trying to think of something to say. Matsuru pulled out her sketch pad while she waited and she flipped unthinkingly to the picture of Ichigo and the green haired man hugging her. She closed the book and looked at her mother again as she spoke.

"Hey mom…" Ichigo looked at her thoughtfully and nodded at her to continue. She sighed and played with her black sweatshirt before she continued.

"Um…Do you have any idea why I might have drawn those women or you with that other guy? And in those weird outfits too…" Ichigo looked down to the floor, hoping that this conversation could have been avoided, at least until they got back to Tokyo. She gave a fake smile as she turned to face Matsuru, letting a lie slip through her lips.

"I don't know why you would have drawn me, and I don't even know who that man is!" She gave a nervous laugh excused herself to get something to drink. Matsuru watched her go, beginning to piece some things together in her mind.

_Okay…Mom has no idea why I might have drawn her or those women. Those three alien like men are also a mystery. But, I still feel some sort of…connection to the green haired man. _

She stole a glance at her mother who was standing at the drink counter, impatiently as she tapped her fingers against the counter.

_Something's up with her, but I can't place it just yet…She seems worried…nervous about something…_

She tried to shake off her thoughts as she grabbed her sketch pad and began to draw. Her hand glided effortlessly over the paper and she began to draw an image dug from the deep recesses of her brain, a dormant part not touched in years.

Minutes later, Ichigo returned, seeming much calmer than she had been. She was holding a glass of amber liquid and had taken a sip when she looked at what Matsuru had drawn. That sip was strewn from her mouth as she sputtered and coughed at Matsuru's newest drawing.

It was a man; a handsome man and he also appeared very stern. His jet black hair grazed the collar of his white button up shirt and it was an untidy mess. His brown eyes were cold and they seemed to stare right through the person gazed upon. His tan skin was unblemished and flawless. He was tall and in addition to his white button up shirt, he was wearing a pair of formal black pants and black dress shoes. He wore no smile, but that somehow made him seem even more handsome.

Ichigo grabbed the picture with a shaking hand and her heart began to pitter in an abnormal way. Matsuru looked cautiously at her mother and saw her unsteady reaction. She touched her mother's shoulder and it shook violently. Matsuru drew her hand back and asked, "Hey, are you okay? You don't look well at all!" Ichigo closed her eyes and shook her head as she mumbled a few words, trying to form a sentence.

"No…you…too young…he…impossible…no…" Ichigo gave up and handed the picture back to Matsuru as gently as her shaking hands would allow. Matsuru saw her mother's reaction and just blurted out the first thought in her mind.

"Mom…do you know who this man is?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Matsuru wished she could take them back. Her mother grew pale and she clenched her fists. Matsuru immediately apologized.

"Mom, I am so sorry! I shouldn't have…That was…I mean, you don't have to-"

"Stop Matsuru, it's okay." Ichigo mused, lifting her hand to quiet her daughter. Ichigo sighed and looked down at the picture, sighing. Matsuru waited on edge for her mother to continue.

"That Matsuru," Ichigo began as she folded her hands in her lap. "Is Masaya Aoyama…your father and my husband."

Matsuru stared wide eyed down at the man as a million thoughts flew through her mind.

_This man is my father? Why did I draw him then? If what mom says is accurate, I haven't seen him for fourteen years. So, why did I draw him, and why now?_

She looked back down to the picture and tried to find a similar feature of her's in his face. She looked and looked, finding nothing…nothing matched. Matsuru was troubled.

_If this man ids really my father, wouldn't I have inherited something from him in looks?_

For once, Matsuru looked over at her mother, questions bubbling from inside, but she didn't ask them. She saw her mother's pale face and her tight muscles and she backed down. She didn't want to hurt her mother anymore. She sighed and Ichigo tensed a bit more as Matsuru began to speak.

"Mom…" She pinched the bridge of her nose with the fingers in her right hand before she spoke again.

"Mom…I won't ask any questions because I see how uncomfortable you are right now." Ichigo eased up and relaxed a bit.

"But," Matsuru continued. "I would like to have my questions answered when we get to Tokyo…okay?" Ichigo nodded, thankful for the hours she would have to prepare for the conversation she was now dreading. Ichigo looked over at her daughter and was caught in her eyes. The shone intensely with passion and burning curiosity. She saw, not her daughter's eyes, but those of a green haired alien. She remembered on many occasions when his eyes burned with the same intensity. She had to look away before the hole in her chest was ripped open.

Matsuru watched her mother's actions and she sighed, looking down at the picture. As she looked closer, she saw something that she had not noticed before in the man's eyes; pure and unadulterated hate and seething anger. A shiver racked her spine and she quickly put the picture in her folder, wanting to get the cold expression put of her mind quickly.

Ichigo was freaking out. She was spiraling out of control and she knew she needed help. She quickly excused herself and got up quickly. She walked as casually as she could manage, trying not to break down in the middle of the airport. As she approached the payphones, she whipped out her pink cell phone again, frantically typing in the same number as before. She waited for the other person to pick up. When they finally did, she didn't even wait for them to finish their greeting. She practically screamed into the phone, "I need some serious help here!" The person on the other end shouted back roughly and took a second to calm themselves before they continued, much quieter. Ichigo sighed, answering the person's question. "Matsuru drew him…Masaya…and I don't know what to do!" The other end fell silent in shock and Ichigo asked, "Do you have any idea how I can deal with this?" The other person thought a minute and then responded. Their response made Ichigo's eyes grow wide as she responded harshly. "No! I will not do that to her! I won't tell her that! I want my daughter to have the normal childhood that I didn't. I don't want to throw her into a world that I know she's not prepared for. I won't do that to her." The other end tried to reason with her, but Ichigo shook her head. "No…I won't listen, no matter how many times you reassure me or try to tell me that everything will be alright. You would-" The other end interrupted her with a suggestion. Ichigo closed her eyes and listened. She nodded slowly and said, "Yes I know that…But, I still don't want her to know." The other end agreed and Ichigo continued. "I guess we'll do our best…We'll talk about it when we get back to Tokyo. I'll see you then." The other end said their goodbye and Ichigo did the same. She leaned against the wall and the sweat on her face rolled down her neck. She walked slowly to the bathroom, walking through the swinging door, and over to a sink. She turned on the facet, letting the water collect in her cupped hands and then, she splashed it on her hot face. The water was refreshing on her skin. She grabbed a towel from the counter and patted her face with it to wipe off the excess water. She placed the towel in the counter and looked up at her reflection in the mirror.

Her red hair was up in its normal pigtails. She was wearing a red button up shirt that was short sleeved. Her skirt went to just above her knees and it was white with a red flower pattern on it. Her skin was pale and her chocolate brown eyes showed her fear. Her strawberry red lips quivered as she thought of Masaya.

_No!_ she mentally scolded herself. _Don't you dare even think about him! He caused you so much grief and pain…he tore you apart and left you alone. He tore apart your family, your life, and your love. And, thank God he is finally-_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a voice rang over the intercom in a British accent. "Flight 137, London to Tokyo is now boarding. First class passengers first please." The same message repeated in Japanese, which made Ichigo smile. She shook her head clear of all her worries as she exited the bathroom and walked over to Matsuru, who was standing. She took her bag and the two women walked to the gate. As they walked, Matsuru looked over at her mother and asked, "Mom, are you okay now?" Ichigo nodded, letting a smile spread across her lips. Matsuru looked and saw no sense of the smile in her mother's eyes.

Loading into the plane took a few minutes. Matsuru took the window seat again and Ichigo was in the aisle. They ordered drinks and bedding while the other passengers loaded.

After about ten minutes, the captain's voice filled the cabin.

"'Ello passengers! I'm your captain today, Ms. Jane Winthrop. Today, we are heading toward Tokyo. We should have clear skies all trip long and the weather in Tokyo is predicted to be well too! Please put your attention with the stewardesses as they go over safety the procedures." The same message repeated in Japanese and the stewardesses stepped forward, going over said safety procedures.

Finally, minutes later, the engines rumbled to life and the plane slowly made its way down the long expanse of black asphalt runway. Matsuru grew tense, not wanting to repeat the same experience of taking off like last time. She squeezed her eyes shut and clasped into her necklace again. The plane climbed upward and further into the puffy white clouds.

A minute later, the plane leveled out and Matsuru was glad she knew what to expect this time. The stewardess returned with the drinks and the women thanked her as they drank. Matsuru kept stealing glances over at her mother, hoping that she would say something. After ten minutes of silence, Matsuru finally turned toward her mother, tired of the silence. She searched her brain for something to talk about. Finally, she just apologized again.

"Mom…I am so sorry if what I drew offended you in any way." Ichigo looked and saw ht concern and worry written all over her daughter's face. She gave a warm smile and said, "Oh don't worry. It didn't offend me as it did surprise me." She looked away, knowing that more questions were going to come. She braced herself, knowing somehow that she was going to have to answer them before they got to Tokyo. She gave an inward smile at her daughter's curiosity. Matsuru sighed, wishing that she could control her questions. But, she was quieter as she asked the question just waiting to be asked.

"Mom…what…what happened to my father, this Masaya Aoyama man?" Ichigo sighed and pushed her long bangs behind her ears as she turned to face her daughter. She saw the same intensity and curiosity in her eyes and she was again reminded of _him_. She took a huge breath, preparing herself before she answered.

"To explain what happened in detail, I need to go back to when I was your age. That was when I met Masaya. We were in the same junior high school. I was in love with him, but so was every other girl in my school. He was an amazing at kendo, making him not only handsome, smart, and caring, but athletic too.

"One day, I finally asked him out on a date. I was afraid of rejection, but to my surprise, he agreed. We went to the museum together a few days later to see an endangered species exhibit. While we were there…something happened, causing me to pass out. I was so sure he would never agree to another date. But, again to my surprise, he agreed on another date. On every date we had after that, something happened, but he kept agreeing on more dates." She sighed and began talking to both herself and Matsuru.

"I don't know if it was a sign that that relationship would never work out, but neither one of us noticed, too blinded by what we thought was true love.

"Many things happened, unimportant to the story now, but somehow, we survived high school, still a 'perfect' couple. We went to the same college in England to study abroad. After a couple years there, we went back to Japan to settle down and get married. I was very willing to have a child and begin the family I had always dreamed of. We wanted to raise a family and we thought that we were ready. We were so very wrong.

"I thought that Masaya was going to be the perfect father because he was caring and sweet like he had always been. But, not all things like that can last.

"I noticed him acting weird about six months into our marriage. He had a job as an environmental lobbyist and it was a job that he loved. A month before we were married he got the job and we were very happy for the good fortune. The job paid well, fueling into our 'perfect' life some more. But, he did a lot of traveling for the company. And, I noticed that he would go on more business trips and they would last longer and longer. And, when he finally came home, he was irritable and aloof. He acted off and he seemed to ignore me. I had a very strong suspicion that he was having an affair, but I couldn't prove it. I was hoping that he would just come out and confess it to me, but he didn't.

"One night, he came home, very happy with the news that he had been promoted and now, he was allowed to control his own hours. We decided that it was time to try to have a child. I was so happy that I pushed away any suspicions that I had, trying to convince myself that I was paranoid.

"We tried for a month to conceive you, but we failed. Masaya got very aggravated and he became abusive. H e had always had a temper, but he had never abused me. Yes a big fight now or then, but never physical or emotional abuse.

"He had been becoming more and more like before and I suspected an affair again. He showed the same symptoms and I realized that I should have confronted him earlier. One night, after he came home from work, I talked to him and told him of my suspicions. He sighed and just blatantly came out and told me he was having an affair. I was distraught and I wanted a divorce. He switched into a new person that I had never seen before. That was the worst night of abuse that I can remember. I escaped to my friend's house for two weeks until Masaya cooled his head. But, nothing could change how utterly horrid he was inside.

"I came home after that and Masaya apologized. I was very cautious around him, trying to watch what I was saying so that I would not offend him and the abuse cycle would begin again. I felt a little sick and after a few mornings of getting physically ill, a thought struck me. 'Am I pregnant?' I asked myself. I took the pregnancy test and for those long four minutes, I waited in suspense. I looked down and the little plus proved it…I was pregnant.

"Masaya and I were happy, once again, both of us envisioning the 'perfect' family that we had planned only months before. And, for nine months, it was heaven.

"But, on the night you were born, Masaya snapped. Something sent him into a flurry of hate and rage. I was scared for not only my life, but yours as well. But, he left with his things and I thought that he would come back, normal, as long as he had the time to cool his head.

"About a year later, he came back alright, but even more enraged than before. That night, I didn't think that I would have made it from the house with both you and me alive.

"But, luck would have it that my friend came by for a visit just as Masaya was about to kill you and I. He…helped me escape and I grabbed essentials only and quickly. I grabbed the soonest flight with you and my friend to Chicago and it killed me to do it, but I dropped you off at that orphanage. I wanted you to be as safe as I could get you, and that meant you had to be far away from Masaya.

"I came back to Tokyo as soon as I could and divorced Masaya and also got a restraining order against him. I grew paranoid, thinking I saw him everywhere. I was always looking over my shoulder, and I never went anywhere alone. But, Masaya…disappeared soon after I put out the restraining order and I haven't seen him to this day. I don't know if he is still out there somewhere, or even if he is dead, but I don't think that he will ever come near me or anyone I love again."

Ichigo finished her story and sat back, taking a long sip from her cup. Matsuru sat back too, but her mind was whirring with all the fresh information that she had just learned. She didn't move or say a word as she tried to make sense of everything now filling her mind. She realized she now had answers to many of her questions.

She had known of her father's abusiveness, but she hadn't known about his affair or that he had the anger issue…or that he had almost killed her and her mother. She took a couple long drinks from her cup for something to do.

She started out the window, not really even caring what she was staring at. She closed her eyes and laid her head on the cool glass.

Ichigo reached over, gently touched her shoulder, and said in a warm voice, "Now it's my turn to ask…Are you okay?" Matsuru gave a half smile as she looked at her mother and answered, "I'll be okay. It's just…a lot to process you know?" Ichigo nodded and sat back.

A movie started soon, but neither woman paid it the slightest attention. Matsuru wanted to draw, but didn't for fear of creating something else that would make her mother distressed.

Ichigo was going to say something to her daughter, but her eyelids became heavy and she laid her head back on the seat, letting her uneasy muscles unwind.

A half an hour later, Matsuru turned to strike up a conversation in the silence, but she saw her mother, asleep in the seat, her chest moving methodically as she dreamed. Matsuru gave a honey warm smile and sat back, feeling her own exhaustion catch up with her. She embraced unconsciousness, hoping that it would give her a temporary escape from the crazy world that was now her's to cope with.

She was just about to jump off the ledge of the world of the awake when she heard a faint buzzing. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Ichigo's pink cell phone skittering across the fold down table. She debated for a second about opening it, but she decided to do so. _It could be an emergency _she thought.

She grabbed it and saw the name read as "Lettuce". She remembered that that was one of her aunts. She flipped the phone open and answered it uneasily.

"Hello?"

"Ohayo Ichigo-chan!"

Matsuru looked at the phone and began to worry. _How am I supposed to talk to her if she's speaking Japanese?_ She put the phone back to her ear and hoped that the woman would understand her enough.

"Um…Ichigo is asleep right now. I don't speak Japanese though…sorry…"

The other end went silent for a second, but when the woman spoke again, Matsuru was blown away with shock.

"Yes…I speak English so…I am sorry. Are you Matsuru?"

"Yes, I am. Are you my 'aunt' Lettuce Shirogane?"

The woman laughed and answered, "Yes, and may I say, for not speaking Japanese, you have a good hold on the accents for names. Well, I called to tell Ichigo something…Can you do that for me when she finally wakes up?"

"Sure thing. What exactly do you want me to pass along?"

"Can you tell her that she should call me when the flight gets in and that Ryou and I will be coming to get you two? Can you do that for me please?"

Matsuru smiled, very content talking to this very nice woman. Her voice reminded Matsuru of a very motherly person. She gave a bigger smile at the though and said, "Sure. I'll tell her when she wakes up. Nice talking to you Lettuce."

The woman gave a laugh like wind chimes and responded, "You're welcome. I will see you in a few hours. Goodbye!" The other end went dead and Matsuru closed the phone. She laid it back on the table and then sat back.

As she looked out the window, she smiled, now realizing just how excited she was to meet her family.

* * *

Matsuru: Well, that's it, the longest chapter yet! She put so much effort into this story and I would hate to see it discontinued. Please help daisukezgirl to recover!

D: La la! Hey, I can see giraffes!

Matsuru: Please help her and the story! Please read and review!


	8. Dreams

Matsuru: Well, daisukezgirl is feeling a bit better. She got a few reviews, but we really appreciate the review from Dragon-Griot-209 because she was the first to review, and she asked us not to discontinue this story. And, because of this one review request, we will think about not discontinuing it…for now. Thank you Dragon-Griot-209.

D: Thank you dragon person! He he he!

Matsuru: She still has a long way to go until complete recovery, but she's on her way. DISCLAIMER: Dasiukezgirl13 owns me, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi.

Onto the chappie!

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Chapter 8: Tokyo Days and Sleepless Nights

It did not take long for Matsuru to find sleep again. She embraced it's warmth as it washed over her gently, like waves rolling softly on the shores.

Two and a half hours later, the stewardesses began to serve dinners to the passengers on little plates. Ichigo slowly awakened and saw dinner being served around her. She looked over to pass a plate to Matsuru, but she saw the she was still submerged in her dreams. She placed the plate on her fold down table and gently touched her shoulder.

"Matsuru honey, dinner is served."

Matsuru groaned and her head lolled a little from side to side and she mumbled, "Cole? S'that you?" Her eyes opened slowly and looked over at her mother's questioning face. A fresh blush crept up her cheeks as she sat back and mumbled an apology.

"I'm sorry mom. I guess I was still dreaming." Ichigo gave a smile and reached into her purse, a thought suddenly coming to her. She handed Matsuru a pick cell phone a few seconds later and said, "This is for you. I've already programmed the orphanage's number in for you so you can call when we land." Matsuru gave a huge grin and said, "Oh, thank you so much!"

Ichigo smiled and said, "Oh, you're quite welcome honey!" The two women, both in high spirits, ate their dinners and spoke a bit more, trying to learn about each other. When they were finished, the stewardess took away their plates and handed them blankets. Around them, the cabin was falling into a quiet atmosphere, the passengers beginning to fall into their own dreams. Ichigo handed one of the blankets to Matsuru and she thanked her before snuggling into it.

Ichigo smiled and whispered, "Good night, honey. I love you."

Matsuru smiled back as she responded, "I love you too, Mom." The two women began to drift into sleep. Matsuru would also drift into a dream that she would never be ready to see.

_She was running, but not going anywhere._

_Running…why am I running?_

_She ran and ran, and as she looked ahead, she saw nothing. Around her was nothing but darkness and silence except for her own panting. She was completely alone._

_So then why am I running?_

_Just then, she saw a light appear ahead of her. She ran toward it, but it didn't seem to be coming any closer. Her lungs were burning as she inhaled and her heart was pounding. Her eyes were watering and her legs screamed in agony. But, besides the pain, she knew somehow that she needed to reach the light. Her whole body was screaming out in protest, but she continued to run. She felt like she was going to die._

_Suddenly, she heard a raspy breathing sound by her left ear. She looked to her left, but saw no one. And then, she heard the breathing again on her right ear, and this time felt it too. Unlike normal breath, this was cold and it sent shivers down Matsuru's spine. She looked over to her right and she wanted to scream, but her lungs were constricted in fear._

_A man with long blonde hair in a pony tail was flying next to her. His skin was pale and his eyes were a dulled blue and sunken in. Darks circles surrounded his eyes and his cheeks were sunken in as well. His ears were long and pointed, very much like the alien men that she had drawn. He was wearing a long blue over coat that was faded like his eyes and it was tattered. His mouth was twisted into a gnarled grin. _

_He reached his long, pale fingers out to Matsuru's throat as his pale eyes were filled with anger. She screamed, her lungs finally allowing her to do so, and the "flight" response in her took over. She began to run faster and she began to feel the warmth from the light come out and touch her skin. She ran faster and saw the man slowly fall behind. Her body was screaming in protest, but she sprinted into the light. The man tried to follow her, but the light was too much for him and he screamed as he fell. _

_The light around Matsuru was warm, inviting, and safe. Her fear was lessened and her worry was gone. She was safe and knew she knew that. She slowed to a walk and saw nothing but white around her._

"_This is so strange…"she mused to herself._

_Suddenly, the white began to bleed with colors. Some green, brown, and blue, as well as many other colors began to flow together to make a scene in front of her eyes. _

_The sun shone above Matsuru's head and she looked around to find herself now standing in a beautiful park. The flowers and trees were all blossoming with beautiful colors and aromas. A light breeze blew over her skin warmly and she smelled cherry blossoms all around her. She saw no one around her at first, but then she heard a young child's laugh._

_She turned around and saw a young couple walking with a young child between them into the park over on a small path surrounded by hundreds of flowers. She recognized the woman immediately by her red hair and brown eyes. It was her mother, Ichigo. She looked at the child who had matching red hair and golden eyes. She assumed that it was herself. But, no matter how hard she looked at the man, she couldn't recognize him. He was wearing a large baseball cap which covered all of his hair, his ears, and cast a shadow over his eyes so she couldn't see their color. But, she must have known him well because he picked her up and she laughed with him. Ichigo smiled and the three of them sat down under a cherry blossom tree. They all laughed and looked like a very happy family._

_But, the happy moment couldn't last long._

_A man walked up to the family and Matsuru gasped. It was the blonde man who had been chasing her. He walked up to the man and gave another gnarled grin. Her mother grabbed her tightly as the man in the hat crouched defensively in front of them. The blonde man gave a low rumbling laugh as he spoke in a raspy, evil voice._

"_I'm going to kill them in front of you and then, I'm going to kill you." He reached down and quickly picked the child from her mother's arms. She began to cry and the man in the hat stood up quickly reaching for the child. Ichigo cried out pleas to release her, but the blonde man jumped back. Ichigo ran toward him, and as she was in arms length, the man hit her very hard in the face. She flew at least ten feet away and the blonde man laughed wickedly. The man in the hat screamed Ichigo's name and snarled at the blonde man. And then in a flash, he seemed to be flying towards him. He ripped off his hat and Matsuru saw his pointed ears just before his green hair tumbled out. His golden eyes seemed to glow with hatred. Matsuru tried to understand, but she came up with no logical reason as to why the man she drew was here. _

_The blonde man laughed as the green haired man flew toward him, a snarl rising louder in his throat. Matsuru saw that they were about to collide and she started to run towards them. She didn't know why, but she knew that she needed to protect the green haired man. She stopped as they were within inches of each other and screamed._

"_No please, STOP!" _

_The colors around her suddenly blurred and melted, the scene disappearing. The ground fell out from under her feet and she screamed as she began to fall back into the abysmal darkness._

She woke up, gasping for air and sweating profusely. She sat back, happy to find herself back on the plane. She wiped the sweat from her face and tried to regain a normal breathing pattern.

"Honey, are you alright?"

Matsuru looked over at her mother who was starring at her worriedly. Matsuru shook her head and managed to say through her dry mouth, "Bad dream." Ichigo nodded and took Matsuru's hand in her's. She smiled and said, "Well, I'm here for you." She smiled and looked out the window, beginning to speak to Matsuru again.

"We're almost to Tokyo. It's about eight meaning we got in an hour before we were expected to arrive." It was true. Matsuru looked around and everyone was beginning to pack up their belongings and get ready for descent. Matsuru, having all she needed packed already, looked over at the open window, looking at the amazing view below.

The glittering city of Tokyo lay beneath the plane. The city lights twinkled in the dark sky and Matsuru could see some stars twinkling too. Ichigo looked out the window and smiled as she pointed saying, "That tower all the way over there, that's Tokyo Tower. That means we'll be landing in minutes."

The captain's voice filled the cabin and spoke in Japanese first, and then repeated in English the same message.

"We'll be landing in Tokyo International Airport in a few minutes. Please open all window shades, put up all tables, and return to your seats and buckle up." Matsuru shook her head at the message and noted, "I'm never going to get used to all that Japanese, even when I learn it." Ichigo laughed and said, "Know you know how I feel when I learned English!" They laughed a little as the plane rounded and began its descent.

About ten minutes later, the plane landed and the passengers began to unload. Ichigo and Matsuru exited the plane, and then went to get their bags.

After they got their bags, they walked outside and Ichigo pulled out her phone and dialed a number. As the other end picked up, she said a cheery welcome. "Hello Lettuce! We just got our bags now. You can leave now and that way we'll only have to wait for a little bit for you to get us." She nodded in response to what Lettuce said and replied surprised, "Oh really? Well then, I guess I'll see you guys soon then. She smiled and then hung up. Matsuru sighed and went over to sit on a bench nearby. Ichigo joined her setting her bags down, and spoke to fill her in.

"My friends Lettuce and Ryou will be here soon to get us. They're already on their way because they wanted to be here early just to be careful." Matsuru nodded, sitting back and closing her eyes.

She was relaxed and calm until she had the blonde man from her dreams flash before her eyes unexpectedly. She opened her eyes suddenly, sitting up straight as she tried to breathe normally. She knew that he was only a dream, but that man scared her very much.

Ichigo had been watching her daughter and was about to ask what was wrong when a red sports car pulled up. Ichigo smiled and exclaimed, "They're here! That's my friend Ryou's car." From the driver's side, a blonde man stepped out. He stayed to the shadows by the door. From the passenger's side, a green haired woman stepped out. The woman's hair was in two long braids that ended at her thighs. She wore large glasses and a white button, sleeveless blouse and a long white and green skirt. She smiled kindly and walked over to Ichigo, saying in a warm voice, "Hello Ichigo!" Ichigo smiled and quickly ran to embrace her, as she said happily, "Hey Lettuce…I've missed you!" The two women laughed and hugged.

Finally they broke apart and Lettuce looked at Matsuru smiling as she said in a kind tone, "Hello! You must be Matsuru. I am Lettuce Shirogane, the one you spoke to on the phone. And this is my husband, Ryou." She pulled the blonde man into the light and Matsuru gasped as she stuttered, "I-I've seen you before! I-I bumped into you a-at the mall!"

The blonde man gave a warm smile and spoke just as warmly, "Yes. I'm afraid that we weren't properly introduced then. As Lettuce said, I am Ryou Shirogane." Matsuru looked at him as he bowed slightly before her.

Instead of a tank top today, he wore a long sleeved black sweater. His pants looked like the same kind as before, and so did his shoes. But, oddly enough about the similarities was that he wore the same red neck band. Matsuru shook her head and spoke.

"But…why were you in Chicago? And, how did you find me?" He looked at Ichigo for a brief second before he responded.

"Well, your mother sent me to check on you before so that she could know how you were before she came to take you back." He gave a smile, but Matsuru saw a hint of deception in them. She had always been perceptive, and it came in handy in situations like this. But, she hoped to move past it all.

"Well," Ichigo interrupted as she stepped forward. "Let's get our bag in the car, shall we?" They all nodded and Lettuce stepped forward to help Matsuru get her bags. Ichigo picked up Matsuru's drawing bag and quickly hid it in the front seat. She then pulled Ryou around to the opposite side of the car and spoke quickly in Japanese to hide her conversation from Matsuru. Lettuce listened briefly as she helped Matsuru get into the car.

"Ryou," she began quickly and in Japanese. "We have to speak as soon as we get back to my house and she goes to her room. We need to discuss things about her future and mine as well." Ryou nodded and quickly threw on another smile before Matsuru could notice that anything was wrong. Unknown to him, she did notice, but kept it to herself.

After the bags were loaded, they all got into the car and Ryou drove towards Matsuru's new home at high speeds. She was excited and anxious to see the place she would now call home.

After about ten minutes, Ryou pulled up to a huge house and shut the car off. They climbed out of the car and Matsuru was awed.

The two story house was wonderful and beautiful. It was pink and it had many windows. The walkway had many beautiful flowers planted by it and it had cherry blossom trees planted in the yard, showering them with the pink heart shaped blossoms. The grass was lush and very green. Matsuru almost cried as one solitary yet wonderful word escaped her lips.

"…Home…"

The three others got the bags and had begun to walk up the path to the front door.

Matsuru smiled and followed Ichigo, Lettuce, and Ryou up the walkway into the front door, into her home.

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Matsuru: Well guys, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter as much as you guys enjoyed-

D: Hey, wanna see my new trick?

Matsuru: DON'T JUMP OFF OF THAT ROOF! I've got to go…Please review…HEY! WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!


	9. Home

Matsuru: Hey guys…Unfortunately, daisukezgirl13 is in the ER right now getting a cast put on her broken arms, broken leg, and her broken ankle. That jump off the roof last chapter was pretty bad. If things grow any worse, I will discontinue it for her sake. But, when they gave her anesthetics for the pain, she seemed less crazy. So, maybe there won't be a need for that after all. Maybe there's hope for her after all!

DISCLAIMER: Dasiukezgirl13 owns me, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi.

Let's do this chapter!

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Chapter 9: Home Sweet Home

Ichigo was first through the door, unlocking it and sticking the keys into her purse. Lettuce and Ryou dumped the bags they were carrying by the front door and last through it was Matsuru. She looked all around her as she walked through the front door.

The stairs were directly in front of her as she entered. To the right was a very large living room. It had a large fire place and a flat screen TV hanging on the wall. The couches were large and a pink-red color. Flowers adorned various pots and vases all over the room. To the left of the staircase was a large dining room. The table was made of a beautifully polished wood and the chairs the same. The walls in this room were adorned with many pictures. But, Matsuru could see where some pictures had been removed. She wondered what had resided in those empty spaces, but she put it in the back of her mind. As she followed Ryou and Lettuce into the living room, she saw the kitchen in the back of the house. It had marble countertops and an island in the middle. The cabinets were painted a pink like the chairs that lined the island. There was a large window above the sink looking out onto a large back yard with more flowers and cherry blossom trees.

As Ichigo walked from the kitchen, Matsuru turned toward her and exclaimed, "It's…wonderful!" Ichigo smiled and chimed, "I'm very glad you like it. Now it's time for me to show you to your room so that you can unpack and maybe make a phone call." She gave a wink to her daughter and laughed. Matsuru smiled and was then again excited to see her room. She followed Ichigo up the stairs, with Ryou following her. As she walked up the stairwell, she ran her fingers over the smooth wallpaper; the feel made her fingers tingle.

At the top of the stairs, Ichigo turned left and led Matsuru down to a door at the very end on the right. She opened the door and let Matsuru step in first. She was again awed.

The room was twice the size of her room in Chicago. Her bed was to the right, the headboard against the wall. It was a canopy bed with four banisters covered in ornate designs. The walls were a soft pink color with honey gold accents. There was a beautiful gilded vanity to the left and a huge desk with a flat screen computer against the back wall. Over to the left there was a huge dresser right by two large doors. She set her bags down and walked over to them. She pulled them open and couldn't believe her eyes.

It was a huge walk in closet. There were five or six closets worth of clothes varying from formal dresses, to jeans and t-shirts. On the back wall was a huge wall of shoes holding hundreds of brands, types, and colors. Towards the back right, there was a section of all grey. She walked over and looked at the clothes to find a lot of uniforms.

Ichigo walked into the closet and into the back by the uniforms where Matsuru stood. She touched the uniforms lightly with her hands and sighed before she spoke.  
"These are your new school uniforms. You'll be starting on Monday. Sadly, unlike the schools in America, here the students have school almost all year round. They have a month of for summer break and occasional week and two week breaks all through out the year." She gave a warm smile, looking at her daughter's concerned face and put a hand on her shoulder as she spoke again.

"You'll adjust very well…I know you will!"

They embraced and Ryou walked into the closet, clearing his throat. Ichigo turned to face him and she asked, "Oh, do you have it then?" He nodded once and Ichigo took her daughter's hand and walked out of the closet and over to the bed. Matsuru sat down and Ryou reentered the room with a small box. He handed it to her and said, "It's my present for you. Granted, you'll only be able to use it once, but I'm sure it will be of as much help as anything."

Matsuru raised an eyebrow as she pried the top off of the box. She extracted the item inside becoming more confused. It was a CD player like device, but it looked much more intricate and it had many more buttons. It also had a set of earphones attached, like a normal CD player. Ryou gave it a smile like he was looking at his child. He stepped forward and began to explain.

"This device is called (insert Japanese word). I invented this so that people who needed to learn English or Japanese could do so overnight. When you put the earphones on when you sleep, turn on the device and it will stimulate specific neurons in your brain to give you the ability to speak both English and Japanese. This will turn months of learning into a few hours. It is very simple to work, actually. All you have to do is place on the headphones before you go to sleep, and press that green button." He pointed to the button before continuing.

"When you wake up in the morning, you will be speaking Japanese."

Matsuru nodded and held the device close to her chest as she responded.

"Thank you Ryou…Thank you for this and for everything else. You too mom, and Lettuce. Thank you for not only taking me back, but for giving me the home I have always wanted." Ichigo smiled and tugged slightly on Ryou's arm, grinning saying, "Well Ryou, let's let her unpack and have some privacy. I'll tell you and Lettuce all about the trip and stuff." Ryou seemed to stiffen slightly, but he nodded and gave a farewell smile to Matsuru before bowing slightly and exiting.

Ichigo was almost out of the door when she turned back to Matsuru and gave her a hug. She smiled as she pulled away and said in a joking tone, "Well, it should be about 7:oo am in Chicago, so a certain boy just might be up. It might be a good time to call him." She giggled and exited the room with a smile.

Matsuru stared after her for a few seconds before she got off the bed and began to walk around her room again. She touched the bed, the dresser, the walls, taking in her room. She smiled as she spoke quietly to herself.

"My house…my room…my family…my dream come true!" She giggled and walked back over to her bed, setting the device Ryou had given her on the bedside table and she picked her cell phone from her pocket. She went into the contacts list and looked at the only number there. She inhaled deeply and pressed the send key.

She put the phone up to her ear, listening to the call going through. She began to think rapidly.

_Okay, if he's not up, then I'll leave a message for him. If he is by some miracle up, I'll talk to him._

Suddenly, the other end stopped ringing and Mrs. Grover picked up, her sharpness startling Matsuru at first.

"Good morning, Chicago Orphanage. Mrs. Grover speaking, what can I do for you?" Matsuru cleared her throat and said quietly, "Um, hi Mrs. Grover, it's Matsuru." Instantly, Mrs. Grover's tone brightened.

"Oh, hello darling! How are things going? It must be late over there!" Matsuru gave an inward grin at her bipolar-ness and spoke again.

"Hey, things are great here. And, it's not too late, only about ten o'clock. Hey, I just was wondering, do you think I could speak to Cole Sanders?" Mrs. Grover sounded like she was smiling when she answered.

"I think so…Let me page him and see if he comes. If not, you can call later, or I can have him call you at a better time." Matsuru giggled and thanked her. She told her to wait for a moment as she sent out the page. As she set down the phone, Matsuru could've sworn she heard her say something about "young love".

In a second, Matsuru heard the screech of the back feed of the PA system and then she heard Mrs. Grover's voice loud and clear.

"Would Mr. Cole Sanders please report to Mr. Hobbs office, you have a long distance telephone call." Just hearing his name made Matsuru's heart jump all over, but she tried to stay composed.

In just a few more seconds, Mrs. Grover picked the phone back up and she began to speak.

"I don't know if he's even awake yet, but he might be. That boy gets up earlier than most of the staff. And, when I asked him about, he said, 'I get up early to watch the sunrise because its beauty reminds me of my love.' And, when he said that, his eyes lit up in excitement."

Matsuru's heart was trying to escape her chest at this point, but she still tried to keep normal. Mrs. Grover began to speak again.

"Well, dear I don't think he's going to-"

But, she was interrupted by a loud bang. Mrs. Grover sighed and said, "Well, I was wrong. Looks like the sun rose early today. Here you go," and she let go of the phone. Faintly, she heard Mrs. Grover say, "Take as long as you need. I feel the need to take a very long coffee break." She got up and then Matsuru heard the door close. And then, Matsuru waited for his angelic voice.

"Matsuru…is that you?" She smiled, her heart unable to take anymore as tears rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed and said very shaky, "Yeah it's me…Oh Cole, I miss you so much!" She heard him sigh in relief to hear her voice, but then she heard that he seemed very sad and angry, and she wondered why. But then, he spoke, answering her unspoken question.

"I'm causing you pain and I'm sorry." She gasped, realizing then that he was sad for her and mad at himself. She cooed and said, "Oh, please don't feel that my tears are your fault. They're tears of joy because I'm so happy to hear your voice!"

He spoke again, comforting her as a fresh wave of tears rolled over her.

"Don't cry my love, I miss you too. But, we have to be strong, for each other, okay? I love you Matsuru, with my whole heart." She smiled and said, "I love you too, more than I can say." He sounded like he was smiling when he said, "I know, and I truly do. So, how are things going? Have you met any of your family yet, and have you gotten to see your house?" Matsuru lit up with excitement as she began to explain in explicit detail about her aunts, her uncle Ryou, her house, her new room, and how happy she was with everything. He laughed when she finished and said, "It must be really cool."

She gave a huge grin and began to ask him questions.

"So, how are things over there? How are you, Sam, and Kyle? How's your summer vacation so far?" He chuckled and said, "Well, things haven't changed much over here. Sam, Kyle and I are okay, but we all miss you like crazy, though." Matsuru smiled and he continued.

"My summer vacation is good so far. But, hey, can I ask you something?" Matsuru replied yes and he continued his question.

"Why does Mrs. Grover get so very happy whenever you're mentioned around her?" Matsuru giggled and said, "I don't really know. She kind of has favorites amongst the kids and I've always been a favorite. She is bipolar and I always find myself on the happy end." She smiled and then sighed as she mumbled quietly, "I miss you so much Cole…I don't know how I'm going to survive with out seeing you again for a very long time." He sighed and said, "I know and I miss you just as much Matsuru."

He began to hum and the sound filled Matsuru's heart with such warmth. It was a lullaby sound and Matsuru began to feel sleepy. She laid down in the bed and said, "I'm going to go to bed now, okay? I don't want to, but I'm tired so, I'll call you tomorrow evening, morning for you, okay?" He agreed and they said goodbye before hanging up.

She set the phone on the bedside table and then picked up the device the Ryou had gioven her. She put the headphones over her ears, laid her head on the pillow, got it bed, and pressed the green button. As she did, her ears were filled with a low hum. She closed her eyes and in minutes, she was asleep.

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**Please Read!!**

Matsuru: Well, daisukezgirl is covered in plaster. Readers, she needs some serious reviews or else she might do something to herself that will make her unable to continue this story. I would like to take the time to thank the people who have reviewed chapter eight as of August 13. Thanks to xxyangxx2006 and Dragon-Groit-209. You two have been very loyal readers and you two are the only ones to have so far reviewed chapter 8. Thank you guys so much.

Daisukezgirl13: Thank you!

Matsuru: What are you doing out of bed?! DON'T GO NEAR THOSE STAIRS!! Got to go! Sorry! And please review!! AHH! NO!


	10. Decisions

Matsuru: Well, daisukezgirl13 managed to get out of bed and fall down two flights of stairs and now she has not only broken arms, a broken leg, and a broken ankle, but a major concussion and she broke her nose as well as all her fingers on her right hand. So, if she doesn't get better soon, I will discontinue this story for her sake. I think she is doing much better mentally than before, but she's not completely healed yet. If she gets a lot of reviews in these next few chapters, then I'm sure she'll make a full recovery. It's up to you guys…And thanks to xxyangxx2006, Mew Nacho, Dragon-Groit-209, Mew Kaiji, Melody Moon - Spyre - Melody.K, and dark kitsune spirit for reviewing on chapter nine. Also, please be prepared…this is a very long chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Dasiukezgirl13 owns me, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi.

Chapter Starto!

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Chapter 10: Decisions

"Ichigo, what the hell happened?" Ryou asked.

Ryou, Lettuce, and Ichigo were sitting in the large kitchen at the island and Ichigo had just passed them cups of tea. She sat down with her own and sighed.

"Matsuru drew us, and I don't know how or why. The last time she saw anyone that she drew, she was a year old. And I was worried because I don't want her to know about the Mews, or any of that life, especially the aliens." She pulled out Matsuru's drawing bag and pulled out her sketch book from it. She then opened it and placed it in front of Ryou.

He took it and began to flip through, his eyes widening with every new picture. And then, when he got to the one with Kish hugging Ichigo, he pushed the book away, clearing his throat and he murmured, "I see what you meant when you were freaking out." His hands were shaking on the counter as he put them together.

He looked at Ichigo and thought a minute before he began to explain what he was thinking.

"If I am correct, Matsuru has an extraordinary mind. She has the ability to remember things from years ago and lock them away. But for some unknown reason, her mind is choosing to remember them and put them to paper. To her normal mind, these people she drew are just strangers. But, to her deep mind, the part with the ability to remember such things, these people are her friends and family. I can't be certain because I can't run tests, but I think my theory is correct."

Ichigo put her head in her hands and mumbled, "I'm truly at a loss as to why she drew us in out Mew forms. I don't want her to know about that kind of life…I want to protect my one and only daughter!" A few tears rolled down her cheeks and she sipped her warm Japanese tea.

Lettuce reached her hand and placed it over Ichigo's shaking one. She smiled warmly and said quietly, "It's okay Ichigo, we will keep her protected. We know exactly how to do so. Our daughters Saka and Sakura don't know either, and neither do Ayame or Kaori. So, Matsuru will be in the same position as them."

Ichigo laid her head on the cool counter top and whispered, "Thanks Lettuce."

Ryou stood and placed his hand on the small of Lettuce's back as he said, "Come on Lettuce, I think Ichigo needs to get some rest." Lettuce nodded and stood as well as Ichigo lifted her head. She got up and walked the two to the front door. Once there, she embraced them both and waved to them as they got in the car and drove off. Ichigo sighed as she watched them go. She locked the front door and walked back into the kitchen.

She sat down and began to sip her tea. It was only a few seconds before the tea was gone. She shrugged as she got off the stool and put a pot of water on to boil. She sat back at the kitchen counter and laid her head down. She sighed and looked over at the sketchbook, her thoughts going to a part of her brain untouched for many years. She saw one face…the only one that mattered. She saw Kish, and the more she tried to push it away, she saw him in more detail. She shook her head and the whistle of the teapot helped. Kish's face slowly faded as she got up and poured herself another cup of tea. She pushed the thought of Kish behind a very tall wall as she walked into the living room.

She sat down on the couch, curling up in her favorite pink flannel blanket. She laid back and closed her eyes, sipping her tea and then she set it down on the table before settling down in her blanket. She sighed, lying back once more and she listened to the peace around her.

The room was silent except for the occasional ticking of the clock making a beat at which the room moved. Ichigo felt as if her heartbeat would sync with the steady heartbeat of the clock. She felt as if she would become one with time, forever flowing in uncertainty and confusion. She quickly tried to think of something else as a shiver racked her spine.

She closed her eyes again and tried to think of something, anything to take her mind away from her stress. Her mind settled back onto the one thing that she wanted to avoid more than anything else.

She thought of Kish.

She remembered how his forest green hair shimmered when then sun hit it right. She remembered exactly how he could always make her laugh. She remembered his amazingly smooth voice and how he would whisper in her ear.

And lastly, she thought of his ocher eyes. She knew her memory could never give the real things justice, but she clung to the frail memory anyway.

She remembered their intensity and passion whenever he would talk about something he loved, and she remembered how they danced when he would laugh and how they would bore into her soul, digging down deep and uncovering her deepest secrets.

The logical side of Ichigo's mind finally began to attempt to push all of the memories back behind the wall of which they had been resting for fourteen years. But, the illogical and irresponsible side of her mind, the side she wanted to win, was coaxing them out.

She finally fell prey to her desire as she tore down the wall and let all of the memories flood back into her mind. She looked over each memory, just briefly touching each one before moving on to the next one. And she began to think about all the things she had hidden away when Matsuru was born.

She thought about her past as a Mew, and she thought of fighting the Kirema Animas. She thought of all of her times at the Café and all of the meetings about the aliens. She thought of that final battle and then, the memories that she wanted to stay hidden came and made themselves known. She thought of him…Masaya Aoyama.

She saw his angry and hateful face so vividly and clearly in her mind, but she also remembered how he used to be sweet and kind. She remembered her and Masaya, a once happy couple. She remembered how she used to play with his onyx black hair when he would lay in her lap in the park. She remembered how he would stare at her with his beautiful almond brown eyes.

And then, she began to remember his violent and abusive nature. She began to dwell on the night that was the worst fight that they had had…the night that had changed Ichigo's life.

---

Ichigo was in the kitchen, baking many things for Masaya when he got home, but they were a cushioning because Ichigo was going to finally confront him about her suspicions about him cheating on her. They had been trying to have a baby since Masaya's promotion a month previous, but had failed. But, she had seen the signs and she was worried that he was cheating on her. He had been very irritable lately, and more distant than normal. And, to finalize her suspicious, Ichigo found a long brunette hair on Masaya's suit.

She heard the door open and then she heard Masaya's deep, smooth voice.

"Ichigo, I'm home!"

Ichigo plastered on the most real smile she could muster as she grabbed a tray of cookies and walked into the living room.

Masaya Aoyama was standing in the living room, his briefcase on the floor by where his jacket was now hanging. He gave a warm smile and Ichigo tried not to let her's waver as she said, "Welcome home, Masaya."

She set down the tray of cookies and sat down on the couch not saying a thing. Masaya raised an eyebrow and said, "What's wrong?" Ichigo closed her eyes, trying not to cry. He came over and sat down next to her on the couch placing a hand on her knee. She tried to speak several times, but she didn't have enough air.

After a minute, Ichigo finally had enough air to speak quietly. She turned to face Masaya and he saw her face red and he saw the small glistening tears in her eyes, on the cusp of falling. His face softened as he said quietly, "Honey, what's the matter?" Ichigo blinked back her tears as she put her shaking hands together and in her lap.

"Masaya…did you…are you…" She lost her air again.

He lifted her chin with his index finger and smiled as he murmured, "It's okay, you can ask me anything." Ichigo saw his smile and her tears caught her words in her throat. She closed her eyes and felt two large tears roll down her cheeks as she took a huge breath and asked her question very timidly and quietly.

"Masaya…are you… are you cheating on me?"

Ichigo opened her eyes to find his smile gone and surprise coloring his face. He took his hand from her knee like an electric current had shocked him and he smiled again, this time it was cold and it didn't reach his eyes.

"Why would you think that?" He chuckled a little and then stood up before he continued. "Now, let's go upstairs and I'll rub your feet with the cherry blossom lotion you love so much!" He began to walk towards the stairs, but Ichigo remained on the couch. She was shaking as she looked at him and said in a strong voice, "Don't lie to me. I found her hair on your suit jacket." She was past trying to hold in her tears. They rolled freely down her cheeks as she stood quickly. She walked slowly over to Masaya and stared at him. His face was a mask of shock as he walked to Ichigo. He smiled, wiping away the shock and he said, "Don't worry about it! Let's go upstairs and-"

"NO!" Ichigo screamed. "Enough putting it off! Answer me damnit! Are you cheating on me or not?" Ichigo was flustered and her temper was going wild. She looked at her husband with hoping eyes, as she prayed that she had made a mistake, that she had read the signs wrong.

Masaya sighed and took her face in his hands as he looked into her eyes. He stared right at her as he uttered one small phrase that tore her whole being apart.

"Yes, I am cheating on you."

Ichigo went numb. Her hands fell to her sides and her eyes spilled over with many tears. She closed her eyes as she shook her head.

"No…NO! It can't be true!" She pushed his hands away from her face and stumbled into the kitchen. She sat down on the stool and laid her head on the counter as she cried very heavily. She heard Masaya's faint footsteps and then she felt him lay his hand on the small of her back. She quickly turned around and pushed him away.

"How dare you touch me after what you've done!" Masaya held his hands up palms forward and he said, "Look, I know that you're upset, but-"

"Oh, I am way past upset! I passed upset five minutes ago. Now, I am at the furious stage!" She turned back away and sobbed again.

Another minute passed without either of them moving or speaking. Finally, Ichigo turned around to face Masaya with her tear stained face. She sighed and spoke quietly.

"Masaya, I don't think I can do this anymore."

He looked at her confused and asked her, "What do you mean?"

She sighed again and mumbled, "I was hoping that I had thought wrong, that I was just being paranoid. But, now I know the truth about your affair. And, I had a small part of my mind that accepted that it was true, and I thought about this."

"About what?" He questioned, a hint of anger leaking in his voice.

She looked right at him and said slowly and quietly, "Masaya, I want a divorce."

His eyes widened and filled with anger. He balled his fist and his arms shook. She closed her eyes and continued.

"I know I can't be married to a man who claims to love me, and yet, sleeps around with another woman. If I can't trust you to keep a bond of being with one person, how can I trust anything else about you? I just think-"

But, she was cut off by a sharp slap to her cheek. She opened her eyes and Masaya's hand was raised by her cheek. He was shaking even more than before and his eyes were very wide and filled with fury. He clenched his teeth as he spoke in a hissing voice.

"You will hold your tongue, or I will slap you again." He spat each word viciously and angrily. "Get this through your thick skull; we are not getting a divorce, is that clear, stupid?"

Ichigo was shaking, but she looked at him, her chin raised as she said bravely, "I am not scared of you. I will escape from you." He growled and shook even harder. And then, he punched her again with such force that she was knocked off of the stool. She fell to the floor and slid back to the cabinet as far as she could as he walked toward her.

He was shaking and his eyes were very wide, filled with hatred and anger. He wore a crazed grin as he looked at her in pain. His fists were clenched so tightly that thin webs of blood were running through his fingers and dripping slowly to the floor.

Her fear escalated to shock as he leaned down to her level. He licked the blood from his fist and said in a rough voice, "So _darling_, do you still want a divorce?"

Ichigo closed her eyes as tears escaped them again. She nodded slowly and whispered, "Yes."

When she opened her eyes, she had just enough time to hear his growling yell and to see his fist flying toward her face. As soon as his fist connected with her face, she felt pain web through her face. But, she didn't have time to dwell on the pain.

As she tried to get up to escape, Masaya grabbed a fist full of her hair and slammed her against the marble counter top. She reached back and tried to scratch his face. When he gasped, she knew she had hurt him, but not enough for him to stop his attack. He pushed her very hard against the counter again. The air was knocked from her lungs and she felt her chest crunch in pain as she began to gasp for air like a fish.

He grabbed her hair again and slammed her against the counter again. This time, she felt her nose crunch against the counter, breaking it. The dishes on the counter were sent flying to the ground, shattering. The glass from the broken dishes cut into her face and exposed skin. She cried out in pain and agony as she felt blood begin to seep from the open wounds.

Masaya then grabbed Ichigo by the throat and threw her to the ground. She tried to get up to escape, but he stepped on her right wrist. It cracked and a second later, she felt wires of pain run through her arm. She screamed, but not for long.

Masaya went to punch her again, but she kicked him in the shin. He stumbled for a moment before smiling and continuing. He kicked her in the side and she felt her mouth fill with blood, the metallic taste lingering even after she spit it out. He kicked her again and then stood back, laughing maniacally. His face escalated her shock into utter terror.

His eyes were bloodshot and wide. His face wore scratches from Ichigo's nails. His lip was swollen and his fists were cut as well. He stood laughing and Ichigo saw her chance. As carefully and quickly as she could, she sat up and made a split second decision. She brought her foot up as hard as she could and kicked him in the groin.

His smiled was wiped clean off. He doubled over in pain and curled up on the ground, screaming and holding his groin. Ichigo got up as quickly as she was able, grabbed her sweater and keys before bolting out the door, down the drive, and into her car. She sat in the seat, her hands shaking terribly as she fumbled with getting the keys in the ignition. Her tears made it hard to see, but she tried to blink them back as she jammed her keys into the ignition finally. She turned the key and the car roared to life. She put the car in drive and shot out of the driveway as fast as she could.

She felt tears and blood roll down her face as she drove, her mind in turmoil.

_Where can I go that's safe? I can't go to any of my friends that he knows…He'll come looking for me there…But, he knows all my friends…I could stay at a hotel…But he will probably look at every hotel in this city and the next three cities. _

While thinking, she began to make random left and rights, not caring where she was going, as long as it was far away from Masaya.

Finally, she stopped outside of a park that she hadn't been to since she was a child. She used to go there often when she was younger and sit under the cherry blossom trees. She looked out over the dark, empty park and decided that it would be safe enough to stay there for a while.

She slowly climbed out of her car, careful not to disrupt her injuries too badly, and she walked into the park. She walked in the lush grass that looked like a flowing sea of black in the moonlight. She walked over to a bench resting under a cherry blossom tree. She smiled and sat down, happy to rest for even a minute. She looked at the full moon shining brightly in the clear sky, but her peace didn't last long.

As she sighed deeply, her chest tore in pain. She gasped and looked down her shirt. On her chest was a very large mark that would soon become a bruise. She lightly squeezed her now swollen right wrist and gasped again at the pain. It was broken badly. She lay on the bench and let her tears roll down her cheeks as she beat herself up.

_Why do I stay with him after incidents such as these? He's abused me before, granted, not as badly, but still, I am just hurting myself by staying with him. One of these days I am going to go into one of those fights and never come out…_

She sighed and listened to the silence around her. Her mind spun and she couldn't calm it.

A few minutes later, she thought that she heard someone walk by so, she sat up and looked. But, she saw no one.

"Hmm…" She grumbled as she looked around. She shook her head and lay down again. But, she wouldn't stay there long. Another minute later, as she was lying there, she heard a voice right behind her.

"Ichigo?"

She moved so quickly that she fell off the bench and right onto her face. Her eye where Masaya had punched her throbbed in pain and she sat whimpering for a second before she remembered the voice. She looked up above the bench and saw the last person she had been expecting. Her face drained of any color it had as she asked, "K-Kish?"

He was watching her intently as he floated above the bench. His golden eyes were wide and filled with much surprise. His forest green hair had grown quite a bit. It fell around his pale, pointed face. It was still wrapped in two strands like so many years ago. Ichigo looked at his arms and noticed that they had much more muscle on them then before too. He actually looked very handsome.

As he looked over her, his usual smile was replaced with a displeased frown. He lowered to the ground and held his hand out for Ichigo. She took it, thanking him, and then they sat on the bench together. She looked at him and he was still frowning. He looked very concernedly at her and his eyes bore into her's like he was trying to unlock her mind and soul.

Ichigo tried to smile, but it wavered and she could only manage a slight upturn of the edge of her lips. She looked away from his eyes and began to make casual conversation.

"Well Kish, this is a nice surprise. I haven't…seen you in…so…long…"

But then, it all came crashing down on her. She turned to Kish and realized she didn't care how long it had been since she last saw him. Her eyes welled up with tears and she knew she just needed a friend's shoulder to cry on. She nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder and just began to cry.

And, he didn't say anything. He just hugged her and cooed to her, petting the back of her head and tightening his embrace as she cried harder. She sobbed and continued to cry for a few minutes more.

Finally, her tears lessened and she pulled away slowly and carefully, wiping her face roughly, mad at herself for being so weak. She looked down at her hands and saw the blood the she had forgotten was on her face now on her hands. She began to panic, not knowing how Kish would react to Masaya's abuse.

She tried to wipe away all of the blood she could find on her face, but she jostled her right wrist and she gasped sharply in pain.

Kish looked at her and he saw the blood very clearly. She closed her eyes as a new wave of tears came. Then, she felt a light brush on her cheek. She opened her eyes to find Kish wiping away the tears and blood she had missed. He looked at her face with such concentration and he still wore his frown of unhappiness for her condition.

After he had cleared her face of all he could, he drew his hand back and looked right into her eyes again as he asked in a low voice, "Ichigo, how in the world did you get these injuries?"

She looked away from his intent gaze and into the dark grass as she answered softly. "I…I fell down in the kitchen." He arched one of his perfect eyebrows and said disbelievingly, "Oh yeah? And how many times have you 'fallen'?" Ichigo played with the end of her skirt as she confessed even quieter, "Seven or eight times, but this is the worst time." She looked over at Kish's reaction. His face was furious and he asked incredulously, "Ichigo, have you told anyone about it?!"

Ichigo shook her head and said softly, "No Kish…He would have killed me if I even mentioned it to anyone." She brought her knees to her chest, hugging them, and looked at Kish as she asked, "Please Kish…please don't mention this to anyone…I am just so scared that he'll find out I told someone and the next time a night like this happens…I won't walk away from it alive. I can't even go home for a week or so until he cools his head and then we can put this behind us just like the other times it's happened." A cool breeze whipped through the park and Ichigo shivered before she began again. "I guess I'll have to go to a far away hotel so that he can't find-"

"Ichigo, are you stupid?!" Ichigo looked at Kish as he stood and looked down at her, even more furious than before. "Look, I know for some reason that you love Masaya, but you can't keep letting him treat you this way! Report him to the police, get a divorce, a restraining order…or something!"

Ichigo put her knees down and held out her broken wrist as she said timidly, "Kish, he gave me this and all of my other injuries just because I _said _that I wanted a divorce. Do you know what he would do to me if I actually got one?"

Kish sighed and began pacing in front of the bench. Ichigo's eyes followed his face, looking at the changing emotions. Finally, he stopped in front of her as she stood up.

"I should go…I can go find a cheap place to stay for a while until he cools his head…" She began to walk back to her car, but Kish spoke softly, stopping her in he tracks with his five words.

"Ichigo…Come stay with me…"

She turned and looked into his melting eyes. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes and saw her surprise, but he looked deeper and saw her anguish, her pain, her loyalty, and her fear. He waited for her answer patiently while she struggled in her mind.

_Well, if I stay with Kish, he can protect me if the situation calls for it. Masaya won't be able to find me either…and I have to admit that I need a friend like him now more than ever before…I guess I know my answer…_

She smiled warmly and slid her hand into his, weaving her fingers through his.

"Kish, I would love to come stay with you."

Kish smiled and he pulled her into his warmest embrace. She inhaled his woody scent as his strong arms wrapped around her. His long green hair tickled her as he laid his cheek on the crown of her head. It was the hug that Ichigo had needed for too many years.

Kish kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Hold on koneko-chan, we have to teleport to my house…" She pressed even closer to his torso and she lightly stepped on his big feet. She looked down and watched the two of them float above the dark grass. She clung to him careful not to jostle her wrist, and afraid to fall, but he hugged her closer and said, "Be warned, teleporting will feel different to you since you're human." She nodded and he inhaled deeply. He exhaled and then squeezed her close.

At first, Ichigo felt fine. But, that feeling soon disappeared. The whole park around them slid into black. She felt like her whole body was stretched and pulled in every direction. Her lungs struggled to take in air and she felt her heart thrumming irregularity in her chest. She tried to say something to Kish, but when she opened her mouth, she felt like she had been punched in the stomach. All she could get in was short, shallow, and raspy breaths that came fleetingly.

Finally, she felt the pressure lift and she took in a deep breath as she tried to regulate her breathing. She felt Kish's feet touch the ground and her legs went weak. She slumped into Kish's arms, but he grabbed her strong.

"Whoa Ichigo, are you okay? Here, it's going to be okay." He lifted her up wedding style, and carried her over to a large bed before laying her down on it. She looked around and saw that she was in a huge bedroom. There was the bed she was lying on, a desk, an armoire, a large gilded mirror, and two doors. She closed her eyes as a new wave of nausea rolled over her. She groaned and Kish sat on the bed next to her.

"Ichigo, you just need to rest. It's okay, you're safe here." She let her tense muscles unwind and she began to get her breathing normally.

A few minutes later, she felt Kish lie down next to her. She opened her eyes and he was staring at her. He smiled and whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you Ichigo…I promise."

Ichigo smiled, but she had a sharp pang of guilt. She knew she was being disloyal to Masaya, but when her wrist throbbed, all feelings of guilt were washed away. She looked at Kish and smiled hugely right back. She reached her left hand out and held it in his. He smiled and squeezed her hand softly in return and the two smiled.

Ichigo began to feel her exhaustion take over and sleep ebb at her consciousness. Her eyelids became very heavy and she tried to stay awake with much difficulty. She closed them and murmured, "Kish…thank you…you're my best friend…the friend I need…" She heard him utter a chuckle and he kissed her nose.

Kish got off the bed, covered Ichigo with a large blanket, and leaned down planting a kiss on her cheek. He lingered there, whispering on her skin, "Goodnight koneko-chan." She smiled and expected to feel him lie back down on he bed. But, she heard him shift his weight and take a step toward the door. She shot her left hand out and searched until she found his wrist. She clutched it and said frantically, "Stay…please stay with me Kish…"

She looked up at his face and it was soft as he smiled. She closed her eyes and said, "Alright, I'll stay with you." She smiled and once again felt him lay next to her. He grabbed another blanket and laid it over himself. She rolled into his arms and he wrapped them around her. She smiled and thought, _He is such an amazing guy…I am so glad that I can be with him now…_

Sleep pulled her under and the last thing she remembered before she went to sleep was Kish's lips on her ear, whispering, "I love you Ichigo…I always have and I always will." She fell into sleep wondering if he had really said that, or if her dreams had taken over already.

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Matsuru: Well, daisukezgirl is healing up very nicely. I even think she will be able to do the next author's note! But, reviews are still appreciated! Hope you guys liked this chapter!


	11. Morning Tour

D: Hello all of my loyal fans! I am so sorry that I haven't updated my stories in quite a while and I am also sorry that I have been…'incapacitated' over these last few chapters. I thank all of my loyal fans and I also thank Matsuru who had been doing my author's notes.

Matsuru: It's about time you got better!

D: I had a lot to stress about! I had exams, a father who I am currently feuding with, a sister who has no regards for my feelings, a psychotic mother, guy issues, and not to mention I am trying to plan my birthday and a trip I am taking with my friend. So, yeah I have had a lot to stress about if you don't mind!!

Matsuru: O_o'' Sorry…

D: It's okay…Well, now's not the time to talk about those things. Now is time to update "Honky-Tonk Mew: A Cinderella 'Tail'"! Enjoy!

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Chapter 11: The Morning Tour

The very first thing that Ichigo felt when she awoke was a soft breathing on the nape of her neck. She looked back and found Kish lying behind her. His arm was draped over her waist and his other arm was curled around her head. She looked around the room and suddenly was very curious to explore. After all, it wasn't every day that you were running for your life from your psychotic, cheating husband and saved by your alien friend and then taken back to his room now, was it?

Moving as cautiously as she could, Ichigo slid Kish's arm off of her waist and slid out of the covers. She was good until the very last second when her foot caught in a tangle of sheets and she fell out of the bed with a loud thump. Realizing how much noise she made, she looked at Kish expecting to see him up and awake. But, he slept on, oblivious to Ichigo's noisy exit. Ichigo sighed in relief.

She stood up, reaching her arms above her head to stretch, and yawned. Peering around the room, she noticed that it was sort of bare.

Other than the bed, which took up most of the room, there was a large gilded mirror, a large armoire, and a small bedside table and a small wooden desk and chair. They were a dark mahogany color and the desk had little on it. There were a few folders, some scattered papers, a few books lying all over, and a black, leather bound book. It was this little book that caught Ichigo's attention.

She tiptoed over to the desk and picked up the book in her hands. It was light and looked over a few years old. She opened the front cover and saw a message written in blunt and bold handwriting.

_**''May this give you a chance to escape from your everyday hell. Love Mom.''**___

Ichigo was now extremely curious. _This book must've been given to Kish by his mother, _thought Ichigo. She flipped the first page and looked at the spidery thin and eloquent handwriting. There was a date on the top of the page dated for eight years previous. It was unlike any other book she had seen. But, it wasn't until she started reading the story that she realized it wasn't a book.

_"I began my invasion of earth today. I am glad that my mom gave me this journal before she was taken away. I feel closer to her by writing in this. But, the invasion was somewhat boring. I was surveying a city called Tokyo in a country called Japan. The only exciting part of the whole day was that I got to meet a cute koneko girl while I was there. I kissed her and then we fought a bit. But man, was she cute! I hope I will get to see her next time I go back!"_

Ichigo looked up from the words and then her mind began to whir.

_Oh my…this…this is Kish's journal!_

Ichigo wanted to immediately set the journal down and walk away. But, now she just had to read on. She wanted to know what Kish really felt.

She opened the journal at random and looked at the date. It was from six years previous.

_"It was Taruto's birthday today and man, did we party! We went to a local hang out and totally had a great time. We ate everything in site and Pai and Taruto tried to get me to flirt with some of the girls. I did try but honestly, none of them did anything for me. I still can't get over Ichigo. So, flirting with other girls was fun, but it meant nothing except meaningless time wasting."_

Ichigo flipped forward again and began to read an entry from three years previous.

_"Why can't I stop? All I see when I close my eyes is her face. I can't go on much longer without seeing her smile. I feel like there's a huge hole in my chest and if I don't see her soon, I am going to fall into millions of pieces. Can I simply move on and forget her? No, I can't ever do that. I would never choose that. After all, I would rather fall into pieces than never to have known her. I think I should go visit and check on her sometime soon…"_

Ichigo stifled a laugh as it bubbled up her throat. She remembered that day three years ago when Kish dropped by unexpectedly. She was in her kitchen cooking a nice meal for Masaya when he came home and when she turned around, Kish was sitting at her island. Of course, she was shocked and screamed. But, after the initial shock, Kish and he caught up about their lives over dinner. Thinking back, Ichigo was a little disappointed when later that night, Masaya called and said he couldn't come home to dinner. But now, Ichigo was glad he didn't come so that she and Kish could talk by their selves. She sighed, thinking about how much she had enjoyed that night with Kish. She had craved to talk to someone and he was there for her. But now, she realized just how much he was craving to talk to her.

Looking down again to the journal, Ichigo flipped to the most recent entry from earlier that day.

_"I am going to go see her again. It has been three years since we last spoke. And, now I see her everywhere; In my room, in the yard, in my kitchen, behind my closed eyes, and she even takes over my dreams. It is too unbearable to live without her any longer. I wish I could tell her just how much I love and miss her! Every time I see her warm smile, it fills me with irreplaceable and unbreakable happiness! Those big, chocolate brown eyes bare into mine and I swear at times, she can see right into my soul. I wish she could so she would automatically know how I feel. It would make confessing my love a lot easier. But, she is in love with Masaya and I don't want to cause her unhappiness, discomfort, or any pain by my continued presence in her life. But, I cannot ignore her either. I think that with these occasional visits, I can make it through. Even thinking about her now, I can practically taste her strawberry lips and feel her silky hair running through my fingertips. Okay, I will go to her again today. Maybe we can go to the park and hang out there while Masaya is at work. Maybe, just maybe…"_

Ichigo closed the journal and was surprised to find tears in the brims of her eyes. She never realized just how much passion bubbled underneath Kish's playful exterior. He always seemed so confident and cool, but he was really sensitive, loving and caring. And, all of those emotions were for her. Had Masaya ever felt that way for her?

_He never said 'I love you' with any emotion except as a greeting or a goodbye. He never stayed with me and just talked. And, he never would sacrifice his own possessions and self for me, unlike Kish did for me. Did I make a mistake in who I chose?_

"Give it to me Ichigo."

Ichigo made a ridiculous sound, a kind of horrified squeal, as Kish got up and took the book from her hands.

"Do you want me looking in _your_ journal?" He asked.

Ichigo shook her head quickly and stammered, "N-no."

"All right, then," he said quietly. He set the journal back on the desk and went over to sit down on his bed. Ichigo stood by the desk trying to apologize.

"Kish, I…I am sorry. I didn't know that it was…Well, I didn't mean to…I'm really sorry."

Kish kept looking at the journal like he couldn't hear her apologies, like he was far away.

"I…It's not that…Well, it was…I woke up and…I am so very sorry."

Kish finally looked up at her and she pointed to the book, shrugging her shoulders and made one last attempt.

"So sorry."

Kish's expression was hard for a moment, still thinking in his own world before it softened and he stood up, walking to Ichigo.

"Do you think I am angry with you for reading my journal?" He asked as he lifted her chin with his finger. She nodded slightly and he gave her an earnest smile.

"Well, to ease your mind, I am not angry with you."

"You're not?" She asked, shocked. "But, why not? I read your private property!"

He looked confused and asked, "Do you want me to be angry with you?"

She shook her head and he spoke again.

"I am just…thoughtful. Come sit down," he offered as he took her hands and led her to the bed to sit down.

"I'm not sure how much you read of it, but you might have noticed how much I struggle with feelings about you. I had been trying for eight years to tell you how I feel and by accident, you find out. I am more relived than angry, actually. You now know, without a doubt, my true feelings for you." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and said softly, "You don't have to accept my feelings or even acknowledge them, but at least now you know what I have been trying to tell you."

Ichigo smiled and realized how effortlessly she could get along with Kish and just enjoy him and his company. She slid her hand into his and sighed before speaking.

"I know your feelings and I respect them, but I can't abandon Masaya. I have to give him a chance to make up for what he did to me. All of my injuries will go away but…"

But, Ichigo suddenly realized that she felt no pain, no bruises, and no broken bones.

"How? How am I healed?"

She looked into Kish's eyes and said, "It was you. You must've healed me!"

He nodded and said, "After you fell asleep, I treated your injuries. It didn't take mush, just a bit of-"

But he was cut off by Ichigo's sudden hug. He sat stunned, but soon wrapped his arms around her back.

"Thank you so much for healing me Kish."

"You're welcome my koneko-chan."

Ichigo blushed at the term of endearment and sat up, thinking.

"Kish, I have a question. It might be kind of personal, and you don't have to answer it if you don't want, but I am genuinely curious." He nodded and waited for her to continue.

"In your first journal entry, you said your mother was 'taken away'. What happened to her? You don't speak about your parents ever and I was curious."

His face immediately was contorted with sadness and grief. Ichigo was instantaneously wishing she hadn't asked.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I was right, that was way too personal. Don't answer that, it's okay. I think-"

"Stop Ichigo, it's fine. I'll answer it; it's just a very tenuous period in my life. Be warned that this story has…parts that are not very happy."

Ichigo nodded and Kish inhaled very deeply, trying to find away to start.

"My race of people had been planning to attack earth long before you or I were born. My mother and father were in the same base; he was a soldier and she was in the intelligence and observation unit. And of course, they fell in love. At first, both of my parents were happy to fight against earth and to claim our planet back. And soon, they had me. After my mother had me, she was reluctant to go out on scouting missions, but she went because it was her job. When I got older, I always wanted to go with her to earth, but she said I would have to wait until I was at least 13, the age of adulthood in my world.

"My mother and I were very close while my father and I were as distant as could be. Many nights, my mother would tell me stories from the old days of earth hundreds of years ago when the world was pure and right. I would always love to hear her tell stories. She had a very majestic voice and it suited her stories.

"One night when I was 13, she told of the families on earth, the humans. She said they might have been abusing earth, but they had loving hearts. She told me about a mother and her little girl playing in a park together and how concerned the mother was when the little girl fell down. It was such a simple story, but it stirred something inside of my mother.

"She went to the council of elders and told them that we didn't have to fight the earthlings. She said that we could make peace and show them how to live in harmony with earth instead of destroying it. But, they all laughed at her and told her she should keep her stories to herself and continue to do her assigned job. But, the more my mother went to earth, the more she believed we could make peace. I agreed with her, but she told me never to discuss it with anyone. She feared for my safety and for my position in our society. I did as she told, and all too soon, I was recruited with my best friends Pai and Taruto into the army. Pai was 15, I was 14, and Taruto was 13. My father was proud of me for once, but my mother still feared for me.

"The night before my first big meeting, my mother gave me that journal and told me to write down and cherish every minute of my life. At first, I thought it was a silly time to give me a gift. But, she would never have another chance to say anything to me.

"The next day, at the big strategy meeting, there was a disturbance outside and my mother came in yelling at the soldiers to stop the violence and to make peace with the humans. I wanted to stand up and join her, but she shot me a look and I knew she wished for me to be silent. And, the guards carried her out: her screams still echoing all the way down the hall.

"The elders called me in later that evening and told me that my mother had been banished by our court to live on earth like the humans she loved so much. And, they also told me that because of her disruptive outburst, I was going to be under more harsh observation than anyone of my fellow soldiers. They told me that I was going to go down to Tokyo, Japan to begin observation and if I failed more than three times in my mission, I was going to be exiled.

"As much as I believed in making peace with the humans as my mother had, I knew the consequence if I failed so, I fought you Mews. And, I looked for my mother but never found her. When we brought the Mew Aqua home, Pai, Taruto, and myself were great heroes. But, it's not that easy to have a happy ending.

"I did some digging about my mother and looked into the court records. I didn't find a banishment order for my mother…I found…I found an…an execution statement that was filed and carried out the day of her outburst."

Ichigo gasped and was stunned and the discovery.

"Kish, I…I didn't know. If I had any idea, I wouldn't have made you relive that whole thing. I can't express how sorry I am."

Kish looked stony faced and he asked, "You want to know what my father told me? He said, 'Don't worry son. She died for betraying our cause. At least you didn't end up like her, huh?' He just laughed it off. I was so angry at him that I disowned him and moved into another part of this world." Kish clenched his fist so hard a ribbon of blood ran through his fingers and onto the floor. "I hate that man to this day for what he said."

He lowered his gaze to the floor and sighed as he loosened his fist. "I'm sorry for acting so hateful, Ichigo. It's just a hard past to think about. But now, it's better because I know you."

She looked at his hard expression and tears brimmed up in her eyes, threatening to overflow onto her cheeks. Kish saw her and his eyes were worried at her expression.

"Did I make you cry? I'm sorry, love."

She shook her head and whispered, "You have gone through so much yet, you can be so happy and playful at times. Someone like you should hate the whole world for what it made you go through. How can you be so happy?"

He smiled and placed his hands on her cheeks. "Because I look at the good in everything and take pride in my work. I rarely let the past or anger bring me down because if I do, I won't be able to focus on the happiest moments of my life."

It was too much passion for Ichigo to handle. She lost the battle with her tears and they spilled down her face. Kish's eyes grew wide and he moved his hands frantically, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Ichigo, I…what's…um…"

She sat there and wiped her tears away as more came and sobbed, "I wish so much that I could be like you and focus on the good. But, I can't seem to find any in my life…"

Her tears cascaded and Kish took his soft, pale hand, wiping it across her forehead and cheeks.

"You can find the good, I know you…And I won't leave you alone anymore. If you ever need me to help you find it, just call me. I will always bring the sun to you."

She smiled at his hyperbole and wiped her tears away as they lessened.

"Thank you so much, Kish." Ichigo smiled and laid her head on his broad shoulder. He stroked her hair and planted a kiss in it, letting his lips linger, smelling her strawberry and freesia scent.

"Well, I suppose that you will want to shower, change, and eat, right?"

Ichigo blushed slightly when he said "shower" but nodded, hoping he wouldn't notice. But, he did and grinned as he spoke seductively, "Oh, well if that's what you're thinking…Do you want me to shower with you koneko-chan?"

She pushed him away and mumbled, "P-pervert." He grinned wider and joked, "Suit yourself then. The bathroom's through that door." He pointed to a door across the room and continued. "When you're finished cleaning up, I'll give you some clothes to change into and then we can go get something to eat. Sound good to you?" Ichigo nodded and got up, walking to the door. She walked in and closed the door behind her before she turned around. The sight was stunning.

The bathroom was so ornately crafted and huge. The floor was white marble tiling and it shone under the huge crystal chandelier that hung overhead. The crystals in the chandelier had many facets and cast mini rainbows over the whole room. The walls were covered in a black, gold, and white wallpaper. The design was intricate and made of exotic flowers, many of which she had never seen. Against the back wall was a long, black marble counter in which sat a white porcelain sink and above hung a huge, gilded mirror. To the left was a very large, white and black marble jacuzzi bath and to the right was a large shower made of white tiling. It took Ichigo a few minutes of staring to remember that she needed to shower.

She stripped out of her bloodied and dirty clothes and stepped into the shower. The inside of the shower was huge and well supplied with many colorful bottles and exotic aromas. Ichigo smiled and turned on the warm water, letting it run down her sore muscles and soak through her weary body. It made her feel so relaxed and calm. She tried to remember the last time she had felt so calm, but couldn't think of any time in the past few years.

About fifteen minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed the black towel from the towel rack, drying her body. She sniffed a lock of hair and it had the faint scent of unknown flowers. She smiled and finished drying her body.

As she was picking up her clothes from the floor and placing them in a neat pile, he heard a light rapping on the door.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Ichigo, it's Kish. I have some clothes for you to change into. Please cover up if you aren't already so I can bring them in to you."

Ichigo wrapped the towel around her slender body and twirled up her hair into a smaller towel. Then she called to Kish.

"Okay, I'm all good now. You can come in, Kish."

She watched the door open up a crack and saw Kish walk in further, adverting his gaze from her covered body. He had a pile of clothes and a pair of shoes that he placed on the counter before he turned around and left the room, still not looking in Ichigo's direction. Ichigo pursed her lips and pondered Kish's behavior.

_He's not usually one to act like a gentleman…I wonder why he is now…How strange…_

She shook her head and smiled. "I'm thinking over it too much…" Picking up the clothes, she took off the towel and got changed. When she was all changed, she put her hair up into it's normal pigtails and looked at her reflection.

She was wearing a red, long-sleeved sweater that had a v-neck, a black and grey mini-skirt, and red and black flats with bows on the toes. She gave one last glance in the mirror before she walked back into the bedroom.

Kish was staring at the wall looking away from the bathroom door until he heard it close. Then, he turned around and gazed upon Ichigo like he was a blind man looking at the sun for the first time. She smiled at him and realized that she did love him.

_I wonder if it's possible to love two people at one time…but, do I even love Masaya anymore?_

She sat down next to him and slid her hand in his without thinking about it, like it was natural and normal. She laid her head on his shoulder and he hugged her with his free arm.

"You look so nice," he commented on her outfit. A soft blush crept over her cheeks as she murmured, "Th-thanks." He pulled her up with him as he said, "Shall we get something to eat?" She nodded and took her hand, leading her from the room.

They walked down a long hallway, passing many wooden doors that lead off to the various other parts of the large house. They stopped at very end of the hall at a more ornate door. He pushed it open with his free hand and they walked into the most ornate kitchen Ichigo had ever seen. Her strawberry red lips curved into a huge smile s she let go of Kish and ran around, exploring.

There were many items on the counter tops, many jars of various spices and other ingredients, some of which Ichigo did and did not recognize. Her finger tips explored the many ornate designs in the wooden cabinets and marble counter tops. There was a large island in the center of the room and around it were four stools. There was a sink in the island to the left and to the right were a few place mats and napkins. There was an oven, but it was much more advanced than any others Ichigo had seen on earth.

Kish watched her walk around, like a child in a toy store, and walked over to the counter, propping his head upon his hands, his elbows resting on the counter. She looked back to Kish and he gave her a warm smile, happy that she was enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. She walked over to the stool and Kish pulled it out for her. She set herself into it and he pushed her in. she took the napkin, placed it in her lap, and looked expectantly toward Kish.

"So chef extraordinaire, what's on the menu?"

He gave a devious smile and hinted, "A secret recipe I save only for special occasions. Just wait and see! I know you'll love it."

And with those words, he went to work on preparing the food. His hands moved at incredible and inhuman speeds. He pulled out various pots and pans from below the counter and pulled packs from the refrigerator and spices from the various jars. The food sizzled on the stove and he pushed it around with a wooden spatula. Ichigo sat very patiently waiting, watching Kish with extreme fascination.

_I never knew he could cook! He's been holding out on me for all of these years!_

After roughly twenty minutes, Kish set two plates of steaming food down in front of Ichigo and himself as he seated himself in the stool next to her. The food was steaming and Ichigo picked up her fork and prodded it. It looked like a stew like food. There were chunks of some kind of meat and gravy. And, there were yellow looking yolks mixed in. It didn't look appetizing to her at all. Kish looked at her reluctance and smiled. "It doesn't look good at all, but just wait until you try it…I know you'll like it."

Ichigo inhaled deeply as she scooped up a bite and held it in front of her.

_Here goes nothing!_

And she opened her mouth and plopped the bite in, chewing it and rolling it around. Her mouth exploded with many different flavors. There was sweet, spicy, tangy, creamy…too many for her to name them all!

Her mouth was busy trying to catalogue all that she was tasting when Kish asked, "Do you like it? I made the recipe up with my mom when I was younger."

Ichigo watched him like he was crazy and exclaimed, "Are you kidding? I _love_ it! I've never tasted anything like it! There are so many different flavors!"

Kish looked astonished and blushed slightly as he murmured, "Uh...Thanks! I didn't think you'd like it so much."

Ichigo's jaw dropped and she said, "Are you kidding me?! It was _amazing!_ You have _got _to lend me the recipe sometime!"

He smiled at her and reached over, placing his hand over her's. "Anytime you need something Ichigo, you can come to me…okay?"

Ichigo's face heated up and she stuttered, "O-okay…I wi-will…Thanks."

They smiled at each other as they continued to eat. Then, when they were finished, Kish took Ichigo's hands in his and asked with a grin, "Would you like to go see some places with me?"

Ichigo nodded enthusiastically and said, "Of course!" Kish smiled and the two teleported out of the kitchen.

---

Ichigo's wandering mind came back to the present in a jolt as the clock on the fireplace mantle chimed, loudly, eleven times. Ichigo got up slowly, sighing deeply, thinking back once more. The two weeks that she had spent with Kish had been absolute and utter heaven. She hadn't a care in the world while she was with him and time flowed easily and carefree. Her world was peaceful, even if only for those two weeks.

As she walked into the kitchen to put her cup in the sink, she looked out the window, and she began to think. By now, her mind was busy pushing all of the memories behind the wall in her mind once again. Thinking about her past this much, she knew she was going to regret it when her heart was in pain in the morning.

But, a small part of her was very glad to think of her past, especially Kish, again.

She shut out all of the lights and walked up the stairs, shutting out the lights there, too. She then walked into her bedroom, adorned in pink walls and furniture, and walked over to her dresser to change. Once she had changed into her pink silk pajamas, she shut out the light and stumbled blindly through the darkness until she found the bed.

Once she was there, she crawled under the covers and lay out on her side, looking outside at the moon. She ran her hand absentmindedly along the empty space beside her and tried not to think about just how much she missed having that green haired alien by her side.

Her green haired alien.

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D: So, I hope you all enjoyed this chappie! Please stay tuned for the next chappie, "Café Mew Mew"!

Matsuru: What happens to me?

D: You'll find out eventually!


	12. Café Mew Mew

D: Hello loyal fans! How are you all? I was vacationing in Florida when I figured it'd be a good time to upload another chapter! This is a climactic chapter and I'm so excited it's finally here! Please enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

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Chapter 12: Café Mew Mew

Sunlight peeked through Matsuru's bedroom window the next morning, casting orange and red glows all over her pink room. The light fell upon her pale skin, warming it. Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled as she sat up, stretching. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was 10:30. Her eyes widened as she rolled over.

_How did I manage to sleep that late? Stupid jet lag!_

She got up and took the earphones that were still on her ears off. Then she quickly grabbed a change of clothes and made her way into her bathroom for a shower.

After about thirty minutes, Matsuru emerged from the bathroom with her hair blown dry and a white headband on, sporting a red, sleeveless dress to her knees, her pair of pink house slippers, and hung around her neck was the necklace Cole had given her. She brushed it lightly with the tips of her fingers and sighed.

_I miss him so much…_

Matsuru smiled and thought of him; she remembered how his warm lips caressed her's gently and all of her sadness was washed away when she was with him. A giggle escaped her upturned lips and she brushed away all of her worries.

_Today's going to be a great day! Something amazing's going to happen…I just know it!_

She was in the middle of going to fully explore her extensive closet when he stomach gave a not so subtle growl. She touched it lightly and said aloud, "I guess I must be kind of hungry…"

She gave one last glance at her room before she grabbed the shoes she was going to wear and shuffled out of her room.

Matsuru walked down the stairs and noticed again when she reached the bottom that there were lighter areas of wallpaper where pictures had been removed.

_I wonder what could've been there…_

She rounded the banister at the end of the stairs and went to the kitchen. When she approached, she finally noticed her mother sitting at the counter, fully dressed and drinking her cup of coffee like it was a life giving resource. Her mother's hair was up in its pigtails, but there were strands of hair falling out of place. She looked exhausted and had dark circles underneath her weary, brown eyes.

When Ichigo noticed her daughter lingering in the doorway, she gave a warm smile and said, "Good morning, Matsuru. Would you like some breakfast?"

Matsuru nodded and said, "Just some toast and butter, please."

Ichigo nodded and got up, placing some white bread in the toaster. As she got the butter out of the fridge, Matsuru sat down at the counter and asked, "Are you okay? You looked exhausted." Ichigo turned from the fridge, set the butter down on the counter, and sat back down.

"Yes, I am tired. I didn't get too much sleep last night. Between excitement and jetlag, it was difficult to fall asleep."

The toaster popped the toast out and Ichigo set it on a plate before setting it in front of Matsuru.

"Thank you, mom," Matsuru said as she began to spread butter on her warm toast. When she was done, she took a bite and smiled as the warmth of the food went through her. She continued to eat her toast as Ichigo poured herself another cup of coffee and began to chug it like there was no tomorrow.

When the two had finished their informal breakfast, they sat at the island and did nothing until Matsuru spoke.

"So mom, what are our plans for today?"

Ichigo looked at her daughter and pursed her lips, thinking. "Well," she began. "We could go to the Café and introduce you to your aunts and their kids. They're all hanging out there today."

Matsuru's face brightened as she began to quickly envision the rest of her family. Before she could entertain another thought, Matsuru nodded and answered, "Yes! I would love to meet them all!" She smiled and Ichigo returned the smile.

"I'll be right back, Matsuru. I must get ready."

In another half an hour, Ichigo came down the stairs dressed in a floral pink skirt to her knees, and a white lacey tank top. Her hair was now un-frizzy and was placed neatly into its normal pigtails.

"Ready?" Matsuru asked. Ichigo nodded and the two of them exited the house.

It was a fairly short car ride, only about five minutes, and soon, Matsuru and Ichigo pulled up to the pink, frilly café. They stepped from the car and Matsuru's face lit up.

"Wow! What a cute café!"

Ichigo stepped to beside her daughter and laughed at her statement.

"Do you know, I said that exact same thing the first time I saw Café Mew Mew?"

Matsuru giggled and asked, "Really?"

Ichigo nodded and beckoned Matsuru to follow her as she moved towards the café. When they moved towards the side of the café, Ichigo peered around and said, "Oh, I guess everyone's outside for lunch today!"

Matsuru followed her mother's gaze and saw a group of people sitting at a table outside with a big pink umbrella shading them all from the burning sun. Matsuru quickly catalogued them all; there were four women, one of which was her aunt Lettuce, three men, one of which was Ryou, and four girls appearing close to her own age.

Ichigo began to walk toward them, Matsuru following behind her closely. When she arrived at the table, Ichigo smiled and said, "Hey guys! Everyone, this is Matsuru, my daughter!" Matsuru gave a small, nervous wave and said quietly, "Hello everyone. I'm Matsuru. It's nice to finally meet all of you."

Ryou stood and said, "Matsuru, your Japanese is good. My machine worked very well!"

Matsuru was thoroughly confused. _I don't feel like I am speaking or hearing another language…But I guess I am…_

Ichigo smiled and made her way around the table. "Matsuru, this is Zakuro and her daughter, Kaori." Ichigo gazed at the woman Zakuro for a moment before asking, "Where's Takuro?" Zakuro looked at Ichigo with lifeless eyes and said in a monotone, "He's at a photo shoot today." Ichigo nodded and Matsuru observed the woman.

Zakuro had long, straight, black-purple hair that went down to almost her waist. She was very skinny and pale, and her eyes were so dark purple, they almost looked black. Kaori looked like a miniature replica of her mother.

"Zakuro is 38 and she's a model. Kaori is 17 and is also in modeling. Her husband, who's not here, is Takuro Uachi. He is a photographer." Ichigo then moved behind another man and woman, continuing her introductions. "This is Mint Aizawa and one of the owners of this café, Keiichiro Akasaka. Mint is 36 and Keiichiro is 40. Mint is the CEO of her family's business." Mint was a sour woman, Matsuru noticed, and she looked displeased with everything. Her dark black-blue hair was up in two buns with two pieces hanging in front of her ears. Her eyes were dark blue, almost black, and she held herself in a haughty manor.

_Maybe that's why she never married…_Matsuru thought smugly.

Keiichiro was almost the polar opposite of Mint. His face was kind and open. His brown eyes were warm and seemed to twinkle. His long, dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail at the base of his neck. He smiled as Matsuru looked him over and she blushed.

Ichigo moved once again behind Lettuce, Ryou, and the two girls who sat with them. "You already know Lettuce and the other owner of this café, Ryou Shirogane. These two girls are their fraternal twin daughters, Sakura and Saka." Sakura looked like her mother while Saka looked like her father. Sakura had long, light green hair in two long braids, identical to Lettuce's style. Her dark green, kind eyes were like Lettuce's and were framed by thin, wire framed glasses like Lettuce's. Saka had blonde hair in a bob cut and her sky blue eyes held the same intensity as her father's. "Sakura and Saka are both 16 and they will go to your school. And lastly," she said as she moved behind a man, woman, and young girl. "This is Pudding Momachi, her husband Hitomaru Momachi, and their 14 year old daughter, Ayame. Pudding helps with stunts in movies and Hitachi is an actor. He is 39 and she is 35."

Pudding was an energetic woman, her grin very prominent on her face. Her light brown hair went to just above her shoulders and had a slight bounce to it. Pudding had light brown eyes and they were lit with excitement. Hitomaru had dark brown hair and it was short, curling just above his ears. His electric blue eyes smoldered as he gazed at his family. He was muscular and smiled warmly at Matsuru.

Matsuru gazed upon her new family and bowed slightly as she said once more, "It's very nice to meet you."

"Come sit by me, Matsuru!" Ayame exclaimed. Matsuru smiled and nodded and sat by the energetic girl. She was a small ball of energy that practically bounced up and down. She had light brown hair and eyes, like her mother. Her hair was in small pig tails and it bobbed whenever she moved. Matsuru smiled and began to talk to the group. She told them many stories from her life in Chicago. She told them all about her classes, her teachers, Mr. Hobbs' weird sayings, and her friends. When she began talking about Cole, Matsuru blushed and lightly touched her necklace. She hoped no one would notice her little daydream, but Saka and Ayame did.

"Oh, you are _so_ blushing! Just who is this Cole? Is he your boyfriend?" Saka inquired.

"N-no!" Matsuru quickly answered. "I mean, we like each other, but-"

"I knew it!" Saka interrupted with grin.

"Have you guys kissed yet?" Ayame asked as she bounced up and down in her chair. Blushing a beet red, Matsuru answered, flustered. "Well, I mean…We, well…he and I…once, maybe…"

Saka and Ayame were about to hound Matsuru with many more questions, but Keiichiro interfered.

"Everyone, it is a minute or two before noon and I was thinking of whipping up some lunch. Let's all go inside and eat, shall we?"

Everyone agreed and got up. Matsuru walked to Keiichiro and said quietly, "T-thanks for saving me back there." He gave her a very warming smile and took her hand in his as he spoke. "It was my pleasure, Matsuru. If you ever need anything else, please, never hesitate to ask." He kissed the back of her hand and then, dropped it before walking ahead. Matsuru's face had a faint blush creep upon it, but she quickly shook it off and caught up with the group.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am starved!" Ayame complained.

"Don't worry, Ayame. I am hungry too!" Ichigo agreed with the bouncing girl. Mint rolled her eyes at Ichigo and said, "Oh please, Ichigo! All you _do_ is eating!"

"Hey! I do not!" Ichigo objected.

Matsuru was about to laugh at their easy banter, but it was caught in her throat as they all entered the café. The clock on the wall chimed noon and the ground began shaking.

"Oh my god, it's an earthquake!" Sakura exclaimed. Ryou looked at Keiichiro with frantic eyes and exclaimed, "I thought that it had gone dormant since 15 years ago!"

_Dormant? What in the world are they talking about, a volcano? Somehow, I don't think so. This doesn't feel like a normal earthquake._

Suddenly, the world around Matsuru went black and she looked around. She was alone suddenly and as she looked down at herself, she saw her clothes had vanished. Then, she felt another's presence. Quickly turning around, she saw a cat floating in front of her. The cat was grey with an unusually long tail. The tail was white tipped and its ears were rounded. It gazed at Matsuru with knowing, golden eyes.

_What is this? What's going on? And, why is there a cat floating in front of me?_

The cat suddenly crouched in midair and launched its self at Matsuru. She raised her arms to shield herself and saw the cat go into her right inner thigh. At first, she felt nothing, but then her whole body was on fire. She screamed and in less than a moment, the fire in her simmered down to a warmth.

_What's going on? I feel fantastic…_

She saw Cole's face and then, he called out to her.

"Matsuru, you have to wake up now! Come on!"

She smiled and felt even warmer. _No…I think I'll stay here. It feels nice…_ She reached out to touch Cole's face, but he began to vanish. Suddenly, she felt a sharp, repeated sting in her cheek. Then, her mother's voice reached her.

"Matsuru, come on! You have _got _to wake up!"

Slowly, Matsuru pulled away from the dark warmth and her eyelids fluttered open. The pain receded in her cheek and she heard a collective, group sigh of relief. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was her mother's worried, drawn face hovering over her's.

"Thank goodness!" Ichigo said relief very evident in her tone. "I thought you weren't going to…wake up."

Matsuru groaned as a wave of nausea and dizziness washed over her. Suddenly, she began to spout out her questions. "What was that just now? What the heck happened? Why was the café shaking? Why did I see a cat? Why?"

She slowly sat up and took in the varied expressions of the group. Her aunts' faces were drawn and sad, and their kids were as confused as she was. But, it was Ryou who stepped forward to explain.

"Kaori, Ayame, Sakura, Saka, and Matsuru; you are all very special. You have unique and powerful genes that were passed down to you all by your mothers. Because your genes were so powerful, they were reactant to special endangered species' genes. Your genes and the animal genes were fused. You all now have the ability to transform into superheroes called 'Tokyo Mew Mew', just as your mothers did before you."

Matsuru looked up at him with pleading eyes and said bluntly, "What?!"

* * *

D: Well, I hope you all love the cliff hanger (well, semi-cliff hanger) and come back next time to discover what will happen to our young heroines!


	13. Answers

D: Hey guys! Well, I didn't get too many reviews last chapter, but I am not letting that get to me! I am keeping up a brave face and persevering through it all!

Matsuru: …You are much cheerier than previous chapters…What happened?

D: W-what? Why does something have to happen for me to be in a good mood?

Matsuru: …I am keeping my eyes on you, missy…

D: -rolls eyes- Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Someone we all know and love might finally come back into the picture…Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

* * *

Chapter 13: Answers

Matsuru's head spun with everything that was crammed into it. She and the rest of her family were all seated inside the café at a large, long table. They had all just finished eating dinner as the sun fell over the horizon. After the girls had all awakened, Hitomaru had received an urgent call into a photo shot and apologized before leaving. Ryou, Keiichiro, Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro had spent the last six hours explaining about the Mew Project, their past involvement, the aliens and Kirema Animas, and answering the girls' many questions.

"So, we- the five of us- we are now 'Tokyo Mew Mew'?" Saka asked. Ryou nodded, looking solemnly at his daughter and Sakura shook her head.

"But, why? Why now, after all this time? You said that the machine was active during alien threats, but there are none…So, why?"

Lettuce placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and Sakura looked into her mother's kind, green eyes. "We don't know why the machines suddenly began to function again. They went dormant after the last time we transformed 15 years ago."

Matsuru pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, thinking very intently. "Why did you transform 15 years ago? You all said that the alien threat had disappeared long before that. What were you guys fighting against, if not the aliens?"

Ichigo looked at her friends who were also her family and sighed. They looked at her with encouragement and Ichigo looked at the five girls collectively.

"You all know about the aliens now. You know that we Mews fought against them. But, at times, we had help in the fighting by an alien named The Blue Knight. He always saved us when we needed it and was brave.

"When Deep Blue had awakened, he took over The Blue Knight's body and used it to try and destroy earth, but The Blue Knight was able to dispel him from his body.

"What you all don't know is that The Blue Knight was one of my close friends…He was my husband, Masaya Aoyama."

There was a noticeable change in the atmosphere of the room at the mention of Masaya and Ichigo began again.

"Masaya was The Blue Knight. After the aliens left earth, and we stopped transforming, he did so as well. You know that we got married after and began to live our lives together, happily…at first."

Ichigo looked into Matsuru's eyes and cleared her throat. She looked down at her clasped hands before starting again.

"Matsuru, I haven't been completely honest with you, or any of you guys, really."

"What do you mean?" Matsuru asked tentatively, her heart pounding. Ichigo squeezed her hands together tighter before looking at her daughter with sad eyes.

"Do you remember what I told you about Masaya?"

Matsuru nodded and answered, "You said that you lived with him happily until you suspected that he was cheating on you. When you finally confronted him about your suspicions, he told you he was having an affair. Then, you said you wanted a divorce, and he began to abuse you worse than he ever had before."

Ichigo heard a collective gasp from her friends and Keiichiro as they all looked at her with incredulous and concern filled eyes.

"He was abusing you? You never told us!" Pudding said, her voice cracking with worry.

"Then…when you would disappear for days and weeks on end…You were running from him?" Lettuce asked. Ichigo nodded and tried to contain her tears.

"Why didn't you do something? You could've gone to the police, or told us…We could have helped you! Why didn't you tell us?" Mint asked, her furious voice showing the true concern she felt by wavering.

"I couldn't," Ichigo said in a whisper. "He would have killed me, or worse, hurt you guys too."

Her friends, her family, gazed at her with compassionate eyes and she took a large mouthful of air before she continued.

"About 16 years ago, I confronted Masaya about his affair and he bluntly said that he was cheating on me. I was heartbroken and I told him I wanted a divorced. That infuriated him so much, he abused me the worst he had ever done. I managed to incapacitate him long enough for me to escape the house and to drive away. Before long, I came up on my favorite little park and decided I could rest and think there safely for a while. While I sat there, I heard a voice behind me and when I turned around, I saw that it was Kish."

"Isn't that the perverted, alien guy who was always flirting with you?" Ayame asked, her head cocked in confusion.

"He was actually really nice and sweet, Ayame. But, yes, that alien. Anyway, it wasn't the first time he had come back to earth to visit me. When he saw me sitting there, he automatically knew that Masaya had been the one to injure me. I told him that everything I could without involving him, but he could tell everything already. After we finished talking, he offered to let me stay at his place for a few weeks until Masaya had cooled down. I agreed and went back with him.

"While I spent two weeks with him, it was then that I realized just how much I felt for him. Deep down in my heart, I knew that I loved him."

Ichigo drew another long breath, preparing herself for the worst part of her confession.

"Matsuru, your father…well, he is not the man I said…Your real father is Kish. That is why Masaya tried to kill both me and you after you were born. He knew that I had been with Kish. He saw your golden eyes, which were just like Kish's, and knew instantly that you were not his. I knew I had to protect you from his wrath, so I took you to Chicago a year after you were born with Ryou's help and left you at the orphanage.

"Soon after, both Ryou and I returned to Tokyo and Masaya soon appeared, his eyes crazed and blood thirsty. Zakuro, Pudding, Lettuce, Mint, and I transformed into the Mews and he had transformed into the Blue Knight. The battle was a long and bloody one, but in the end, we were able to defeat Masaya and kill him. That was the last time we had fought an alien; that was the last time we had transformed, which is why the machines went dormant 15 years ago. Masaya- The Blue Knight- was the last alien threat left on earth, or so we thought."

"We will have to run some tests and do come research to see if there is another alien threat out there," Ryou said in a brisk, business like tone. Ichigo looked slowly at her daughter's face and saw it was filled with so much sadness and confusion. She laid a hand on her arm and said softly, "I am sorry Matsuru. I left you in Chicago so you wouldn't be drawn into this hard and complicated life. But, because of this, now you will have just what I wished you didn't. I am sorry. I know this must be very hard on you. But I know exactly how you feel about-"

"Oh you know how I feel? You're sorry? It must be hard?! Oh please!" Matsuru began, her furious eyes brimming with hot tears. "Did you get abandoned by your mother for fourteen years? Did you give up all hope of a family? Did you think your parents hated you, despised you? Did you discover fourteen years later that your mother was alive and wanted you again? Did you get taken from everything you knew, your home and friends? Did you find out you didn't have a father to go home to? Did you find out that your father had wanted to kill you? Did you find out that your father was an abusing psychopath? Did you have to learn a whole new language? Did you suddenly get pushed into a whole new culture, a whole new world? Did you get turned into some superhero for some unknown reason? And to top it all off, did you find out that your real father was an alien and that your mother had lied to you? NO! So, there is absolutely no way you know what I am feeling!"

Matsuru stood up in a flurry and screamed at her mother, "I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF THIS!"

She turned around and ran quickly from the café.

Ichigo felt like she had been punched in the face over and over again. Ichigo stood quickly and went to follow after her.

"Matsuru, wait! Please!"

She began to follow, but Zakuro stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Zakuro, what are you-"

"Ichigo, stop. Let her go. She needs time." Zakuro said quietly. Ichigo wanted to ignore her words and chase after her daughter, but Matsuru's last words rang out in her mind.

_"I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF THIS!"_

Ichigo's face fell and before she could dissolve into sobs, she nodded and said, "She needs time."

Matsuru ran away from the café, not caring where she went as long as she was far away from her mother and the stupid café!

She ran and ran, the warm air caressing her cheeks. She passed by a few people as she ran, but she didn't care of they thought she was weird. She kept running further and further away, keeping her tears inside.

She ran for thirty more minutes before everything crashed down on her. She stopped in a quaint, little park by a bench and sat down on it. It wasn't very long until the tears that she had been containing spilled down her cheeks. She pulled her knees up to her chest and cried her heart out.

Her sadness consumed her and her head spun. Why was this happening to her?

_All I ever wanted in life was to have a normal, wonderful family who loved me…Instead, I got all of this craziness! Just days ago, I was living a normal life. Now, my world is turned upside-down! _

Her crying continued for a while. But, soon enough, her tears lessened and she leaned back, wiping her face with her wrist. She was much calmer now and her heart rate was normal. That was, until she heard a male voice speaking to her from a little ways away.

"Excuse me, miss, are you alright? You look very upset."

Matsuru looked up, her heart now racing, and saw a man approaching her. He was tall and very pale. He was wearing a dark, forest green, cotton t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His unknown hair color was hidden beneath the light blue baseball cap that adorned his head. He was standing beneath two street lamps, so Matsuru could not see what color his eyes were. He began to walk towards her and her eyes widened. She was scared of the stranger and curled up, her heads buried against her knees again.

She felt the stranger sit down next to her and he leaned towards her. When he spoke, he did so gently.

"Here you go," he said, very calm and sweet. Matsuru peered out of her protective stance a bit and saw the man's hand extended toward her. In his hand was a handkerchief. It was then that she realized that her face must've looked horrid. She gently took the cloth, thanked the man, and began to wipe her face. The handkerchief smelled earthy and natural, a smell that calmed her. It also pricked at the edge of her memory. She knew the smell was familiar, but she couldn't place where she had smelled it before.

"Thanks again," she murmured as she handed the cloth back to the man without looking at him.

"You're very welcome. I hope you're okay…"

"No," she said, her voice shaky still from her tears. She cleared her throat and tried to speak, but new tears forming choked her. She held them in and the man beside her said, "Do you want to talk to me about it? You don't have to, but people tell me I am a very good listener."

Matsuru rested her chin on her knees and suddenly felt at ease with stranger. And so, realizing she needed to confide in someone, she told the man almost everything. The only thing she edited were the names of her mom, aunts, their kids, Ryou, Keiichiro, the aliens, and everything about her father, Masaya, and the Mews. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to tell anyone about the events that had passed that day.

"So, I was so overwhelmed about everything, and I ran away. And, after running for a while, I ended up here, crying where you found me."

The man shook his head in disbelief at Matsuru's story. "So, your mother just uprooted you, took you away from your friends and boyfriend Cole, with no warning?"

Matsuru nodded and clenched her fists in her lap, looking at the ground in frustration. "I was taken from my best friends, and Cole, and don't know when or even if I will ever see them again."

The man leaned back and looked up at the stars before he began to speak.

"You know, I went through something similar when I was your age, so I understand where you are coming from." Matsuru stiffened and the man laughed, feeling the waves of sudden hostility roll off of her.

"I am not saying I went through _exactly_ what you are going through and understand _exactly_ what you feel. I just went through something _similar_. I was about 15 when I had to leave the girl I loved. I wasn't sure if I would ever see her again. When I finally did meet her again, I had found that she was with…with someone else. I left again, but after, I found that we both shared feelings for each other still. To protect her, I had to leave her again. My heart was so torn. I wanted to stay and protect her, but I also knew it would be better if I left.

The night I had to leave her again, I left with the knowledge that we might never see each other again. But, the story does brighten." He smiled at the stars and continued. "I am here tonight to come back to her, hoping that this time, I may stay with her forever. So you see, don't give up hope. And you must remember that your mother was doing what she thought was best for you."

She felt his gaze shift to her, but she had closed her eyes and stood. She realized now that she had acted childish to her mother and she needed to ask for her forgiveness. Her lips upturned into a smile and she sighed. Things would work out. She just needed to accept her life and try.

"Thank you, sir," she said to the man as she gazed longingly up at the stars. "You made me realize some things and helped me out a lot. I have to go back to my mom and make this right. I have to go back to my family."

She turned to the path and began walking away. The man stood and asked, "Will you be okay to walk by yourself?"

She turned around and said, "I will be just fine!"

Then, she waved and continued to walk down the path into the night. The man smiled after the girl and mused aloud, "What a nice girl. I hope she makes it back safely home." Then, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at the time, his eyes widening.

"Is it really almost 11 o'clock? I have to get going…I have to begin looking for her."

He stretched his long arms above his head, stretching, and then looked around. When he had assured himself that he was completely alone, he slowly removed his baseball cap. His forest green hair tumbled out, the two tied pieces falling in front of his large, pointed ears. His warm, golden eyes were happy as he smiled.

"I'll start at the café, and then her house. Oh Ichigo, I cannot wait until we are together again."

And with that, the air around him shimmered and he vanished.

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D: Tada! Kish is back in the picture! Fan girls, be happy!

Kish: _I _am so happy! I get to see Ichigo again! But wait, who was that girl I was talking to?

D: -smiles mischievously- You will find out…next chapter!

Kish:…You're pure evil!

D: Hope you liked! Please read and review. Until next chapter!


	14. Lost

D: Well, hey there guys! It has been a while, huh? I am sorry for that! But, this is not the time for apologies…It is time for news! This chappie is one of the final chappies for this story. I am thinking about a sequel, but I am also unsure since many people haven't read this one…Please review in your response! Now, let the chappie begin!

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 14: Lost

When Kish floated down onto the lush, green grass, a soft breeze blew cherry blossom petals across the scene before him. The café was just as he had remembered it from years previous. As he deeply inhaled to prepare himself for the reunion of his life, his hyper sensitive alien senses caught an odor in the air. He knew almost immediately that it belonged to Ichigo, for it was tinged with faint strawberry scents. But, the smell worried him. In seconds, he placed it.

Panic.

Ichigo was panicking over something a lot. What had happened? Had someone attacked her? Had something gone missing?

Without thinking, he quickly burst through the café doors, expecting hysteria and panicked faces. The scene he found was much different.

There were only three people in the café; Keiichiro was typing furiously away at his laptop, his eyebrows furrowed in worry and disappointment. Mint and Zakuro were hunched over an expansive map of Tokyo, from what Kish could tell. They were murmuring quietly and pointing to various regions in and around the city. What they were looking for, he could not say. But, they were all so engrossed in their work that they did not even stir at his loud entrance. Only when he let the door swing behind him with an audible thump did anyone even notice him.

Zakuro's dark eyes peered up in simple curiosity, but when she caught sight of Kish, her eyes widened and she looked surprised for the first time that he could ever remember.

"Kish? It has been a while."

At her words, both Mint and Keiichiro looked up to him. Their eyes widened and they exchanged a brief glance filled with some emotion, but it passed to quickly for Kish to catalogue it. He opened his mouth to respond to their greeting and ask where Ichigo was when a devastated, but very familiar voice shouted from the kitchen.

"I refuse to sit here and do nothing, Ryou! It's been over two hours! She doesn't know Tokyo at all! What if she got lost? I am sick and tired of waiting around idly! She's in trouble…I can feel it! And…and I know it is all my fault!"

Suddenly, the kitchen doors swung open revealing the familiar red-head. She walked out into the café, Ryou following closely behind her.

"Ichigo, please just-"

"No, Ryou! I need to go out and-"

But, as she caught sight of Keiichiro, Mint, and Zakuro's still forms and expressions, Ichigo's gaze followed theirs' until it fell upon Kish. His heart flitted nervously in his chest when he finally saw her. But, his joy faded when he got a closer look at her. Her hair was falling from it's pigtails as if she had run her hands through it many times, frustrated. Under her wide, brown eyes were dark rings showing lack of sleep and exhaustion piling on top of her. Those same eyes were red from crying and her face showed the aftermath of recent tears. Her whole frame shook and quivered with heavy, sad emotions and when her eyes pierced his, more tears spilled out onto her wet cheeks. Ichigo's throat constricted at his form and she managed to whisper, "K-Kish?"

At first, Kish did not respond, but instead walked towards her and when he stood in front of her, he reached his long fingers up to brush away the few tears clinging to her skin.

"Hey, Ichigo…Long time…"

He gave her one of his familiar, warm smiles and her tears fell more rapidly as she tried to contain them and her wild emotions. Understanding what she needed, he held his long arms out, offering her his embrace. Knowing that he was right, she fell into him and sobbed heavily into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as the sobs racked her thin frame. As she sobbed, he could sense her sadness, but again, lurking beneath it was the panic he had felt earlier.

"Ichigo," he spoke softly into her hair. "What is wrong?"

Kish felt her trembling body stiffen for a second as she lifted her tear stained face to meet his. His eyes were filled with much concern and she almost smiled. But then, reality crashed down and any thoughts of smiling disappeared.

"Kish, my daughter, Matsuru is missing…"

His eyes widened at her name and he said, "I-I wasn't aware that you two had…had reconnected." Ichigo lowered her gaze to his feet, as if she were embarrassed to look into his earnest eyes anymore.

"We…well…I…" She tried to speak, but couldn't form the words. She inhaled deeply before trying again.

"Kish, you and I…we have things we need to discuss."

At her words, everyone in the room resumed their previous motions. Ryou cleared his throat and said briskly, "I should check on the girls. They're probably all asleep."

With that, he walked up the stairs, leading to the personal rooms above the café. Keiichiro went back to his typing as Mint and Zakuro resumed their review of the Tokyo map. Kish released Ichigo and she walked towards a separate set of stairs then the ones Ryou had used. Curling her finger inward, she beckoned for Kish to follow her.

Nodding, he followed her up the thin set of stairs. When they got to the top, they had entered a small hallway. At the end, Ichigo opened a set of double French doors that led into a stone balcony, over looking the back of the café where cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. As Ichigo stepped onto the balcony, Kish joined her.

She went to the railing, resting her elbows on the ledge and placing her head in her open palms. Standing tensely behind her, Kish shifted his weight back and forth on the balls of his feet until Ichigo found the strength to speak to him.

"Kish," she began softly. "A lot has happened since we last spoke…" She inhaled deeply as she laced her thin fingers together. "There are many things that…that I haven't been completely honest with you about…"

She looked down at her trembling hands and bit her lower lip. Kish couldn't remember ever seeing Ichigo as distraught and lost for words as she was then. He came up beside her and leaned backwards against the rail, looking at her down-turned face.

"Ichigo, what is it? What ever you tell me, I could never stop loving you." She gazed into his confident eyes and felt the love and passion he spoke of bubbling up in herself. But then, a sharp pang of guilt lanced through her chest and she shot her gaze away. Closing her eyes and sighing, she began to speak again.

"Do you remember that night, about sixteen years ago, when you found me in the park after I had run away from…Masaya?"

At Masaya's name, Kish automatically stiffened and clenched his hands into fists so hard that the tendons in his arms pulsed outward. He nodded quick and short to acknowledge that he knew the night she spoke of and then she continued.

"After we talked, I came back to your home with you and spent those two weeks with you…"

Her cheeks reddened at the memories of her and Kish together, holding hands…lying with each other…

"Those two weeks," she went on, a little flustered. "I held nothing back from you, and I was honest about everything…And I was finally able to be truthful to myself about my feelings for you…"

Her cheeks reddened further as she remembered the night she had told Kish everything about her and her feelings for him. They had just shared a romantic dinner and then had laid together outside, gazing into the stars beyond. They were holding hands, as they had done many times in those days. But, on that night, her feelings were practically bursting from within her.

Kish watched as she submerged in the memory and joined in it with her, letting his own mind wander with hers.

***

"That was such a wonderful meal, Kish," Ichigo said with a warm smile on her lips.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Koneko-chan," Kish responded as he smiled in returned. They laid outside of his house on the lush, green-black grass and gazed up at the twinkling stars above. They laid next to each other, their hands within inches of touching. Ichigo's finger tips tingled being so close to his and without thinking, she laced his fingers through his. He also slid his fingers into her's and then, they turned their heads and looked into each other's eyes. She rolled onto her side and then leaned her face into his.

Their lips met and a warm kiss bloomed between them. She blushed as they pulled away and paused before tentatively asking, "Um…Kish?"

He stopped moving and answered, "Yes, Ichigo?"

She looked into his beautiful and loving topaz eyes and spoke quietly as her heart pounded furiously away in her chest.

"K-Kish…we have been together for almost two weeks now. You have treated me so nicely, even though I disrespected your feelings before and do not deserve your kindness."

He opened his mouth to object, but she held up a hand and said, "Please, let me finish."

Kish closed his mouth and nodded before she began to speak again. "Kish, I have been lying to myself for far too long. I have been allowing my heart to be hurt and abused because I had the lie of false love. But, by spending the time that I have here with you, I have begun to allow myself to heal a little."

She looked down at their intertwined hands and sighed before she continued. "But, I also realize that if I keep lying to myself, I will never be able to heal completely."

Ichigo took her free hand and ran in down the length of his cheek bone as she spoke.

"I realize now that I have loved, but it has been at the wrong time, and with the wrong person. I feel so foolish for not seeing it in myself before now but…but now I do. I will not lie to myself anymore. Kish, I love _you_ with my whole heart and soul. I realize that this may be sudden, and you may be angry at me for pushing you away for so long, but if you will still have me, I give my whole self to you. I am yours."

She looked up into his eyes again and was surprised to see that he was holding back a smile. Kish sat up, straddled Ichigo's waist, leaned his face down to her's, and chuckled.

"You silly girl," he murmured in her ear. "I love you and have always loved you. No matter what happens, I will always want you in my life."

She smiled as he looked into her brown eyes and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Kish leaned his face into her's and their lips met, igniting a flame of passion between them. The kiss deepened as they parted their lips, trusting each other, and their tongues entwined. As they surfaced for brief gasps of air, Ichigo found herself no longer outside, but inside lying on Kish's bed. He smiled mischievously before they continued the passionate kiss. As they struggled for dominance of their mouths, Kish had removed Ichigo's shirt and Ichigo's trembling hands had slid his off, running her hands over his smooth, rippling muscles. She then moved to remove him of his pants as they pulled apart. He removed her skirt and began trailing kisses down her body while chanting her name like a prayer to a goddess.

"Ichigo…Oh, Ichigo," he moaned. "Ichigo, my sweet Ichigo, Ichigo…Ichigo!"

She removed her bra and panties, the last of her cloth restraints and he removed the last of his. At last, his mouth found her's again, claiming it as his own. She ran her fingers through his tousled, green hair and as they broke apart once more, she whispered, "Make love to me, my Kish."

Their kisses deepened as their bodies touched, lighting each other like fire. They twisted together and at last, they became one in their unending and unbreakable love.

***

Ichigo drew back from the memory, her whole face a dark crimson, and looked at Kish. She was surprised to find his cheeks dusted with a creeping blush. She continued, trying to regain her normal face color.

"That night, we…well…"

The memory crept back into her mind, fresh, and her faced glowed with another round of crimson blush.

"N-never mind…We both know what happened," she mumbled. Clearing her throat, she tried again.

"A few days after…that happened, I knew I had to return to Masaya. I hated leaving you, but somewhere deep inside my heart, I knew it wasn't fair to you in anyway if I did not end my relationship with him. I went back to Masaya, having ever intention to end our relationship. But, somehow, his apologies dug deeper into me than they had ever before. I forgave him, a mistake on my part I will admit, and soon after, I discovered that I was pregnant.

"I was utterly terrified. I did not know who the father was; was it you, or was it Masaya? I knew if the child was your's, Masaya would kill it in an instant, and then kill me. For those nine months, I lived in constant fear, worrying about the safety of my baby.

"When my baby was finally born, the nurses were hesitant and cautious because the baby didn't scream or cry even though her vitals were steady. When the nurses placed the child in my arms, I had my answer about the father. My daughter, my sweet baby, opened her eyes for the first time, and I saw that they were the most beautiful and angelic gold."

Ichigo took a large lungful of air before she spoke, looking down at her trembling hands. "Kish, Matsuru…she is your daughter."

She waited for his response, but he did not answer. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his and was met with a tense and cold expression. His lips were pressed together into a thin line and his gold eyes were ablaze with unreadable emotion.

After a minute, Ichigo stood up straight and whispered agonizingly, "Kish, please say something!"

His body became absolutely rigid and his face looked like it was carved from stone, hard and cold, as he answered coldly, "What do you want me to say, Ichigo? That I understand why you felt the need to keep that I had a daughter hidden from me for fifteen years? Sorry, but I can't."

She tried to reach out to him, but he moved from her reach and turned his back to her. At his gesture, her eyes watered and her heart ripped open. Without thinking, she ran into him, reaching her arms around his waist, and burying her face into the folds of his shirt as she cried.

"I know what I did was a wrong and unfair thing to do to you Kish, and I could never be more sorry than I am in this moment. But please…_please_ don't turn your back on me. I need you now, more than ever. So many things in my life are spiraling out of my control and I can't keep a hold on what's important…It's slipping away like sand in my hands. And I…I…"

Her words trailed off as she broke down into tears. Kish turned around and held her shaking body against his chest. He laid his cheek against the crown of her head and murmured, "Oh Ichigo, forgive me…I would never turn my back on you. I am just a little…overwhelmed at this. But, don't worry, my koneko…I will always love you."

She hugged tighter around his waist and asked tentatively, "So…you're not angry with me?"

He chuckled and drew her in closer as he replied, "I could never be mad at you, Ichigo."

They drew back and gazed upon each other lovingly before drawing close for a warm, welcomed kiss. When they pulled back, Ichigo's smiling countenance dropped into a sudden frown.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Kish asked with much concern coloring his voice.

She pursed her lips and said, "Kish, Matsuru is still out there somewhere, missing. We have called everyone we know to be on the look out for her…but so far we have nothing. It has been over two hours since she left and I am so worried…Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"Why did she leave in the first place?" Kish inquired. "That might have some indication to where she'd have gone."

Ichigo looked down and answered quietly. "Well, I brought her here from Chicago, taking her from her friends and a guy she was interested in. After saying her goodbyes, she came with me to Tokyo and I gave her a room. Today, I took her to the café to meet everyone, her aunts and their daughters, but she was turned…turned into a Mew along with everyone else's daughters. After we explained everything about the Mews and the aliens to her, she got very upset and ran off and hasn't been back since."

Kish's face went pale suddenly and he shifted his gaze away from Ichigo's face. She noticed the sudden change in his attitude and laid a hand on his upper arm, saying concernedly, "Kish? What is it? What's wrong?"

He shook his head slowly, as if coming out of a trance, and said in an almost slurred tone, "No…I couldn't have been…"

Ichigo shook him slightly and asked him, "Kish, what are you talking about?"

He cleared his throat and spoke again, more defined and clear. "On my way here this evening, I heard a young woman crying in a park. When I arrived, I found it was the same park you had gone to after Masaya attacked you. She was so distraught and alone, so I felt like I had to go check on her. She almost seemed to draw me in. I flew down and covered my ears before confronting her. At first, she seemed to fear me, but after talking to her, she opened up and told me all about why she was upset. She told me about her mother and how she had taken her from her home in Chicago. She talked about how much she had looked forward to having a family for once, but even though she was happy for that, things had happened to cause her to question her wants. She kept telling me about how much she missed her old friends and her crush, Cole…"

Ichigo's eyes lit up and she said, breathless, "Oh, that was Matsuru! Oh Kish, we have to find her! I can go to the park and look for her…And if she's not there, we can look around there…If I go-"

She had turned to leave the balcony. But Kish grabbed her forearm to stop her. She turned on him in a flurry and gave him a questioning look.

"What are you doing? I have to go find Matsuru! I have to go and-"

"Ichigo, calm down. I will go ahead of you guys. I can move much faster and cover more ground." The smile he gave her warmed her from the inside out. He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"I will find our daughter and bring her back to us. I promise you that, koneko-chan."

Her lips upturned at the old nickname and she gave him once quick kiss on the lips before she whispered, "Go find her, Kish…We won't be far behind you."

Kish nodded and flew up into the air, vanishing without another word.

-------------

"Okay," Matsuru blurted out to no one. "I am so lost now." She gave an exhausted sigh and tried to remain calm. She had left the park and walked in the direction she thought the café had been. After about fifteen minutes, she realized nothing around her looked familiar. So, to try and start over, she had turned around and walked back for another fifteen minutes. Still, nothing looked familiar. No question…She was lost in a foreign city with nothing to guide her.

Standing by Tokyo Bay, she let the sea breeze blow around her, filling her with momentary calm. Leaning on the railing keeping her from the Bay, she began to think about her situation.

"It figures with my luck…I have the absolute worst sense of direction!" She called out in exasperation.

All she had wanted to do was return to the café and apologize to everyone; especially her mother. As she had been walking, she thought about how outlandish and immature her outburst had been. She realized that she had no right to attack her mother like she did.

As she pondered her situation, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She picked it from her pocket, puzzled at who could be calling, until she saw the caller ID. Then, her face lit up into a smile and she quickly opened the phone, answering it.

"Hey Cole! I'm so happy you called me!"

There was a pause before Cole's voice answered her, uncertain and somewhat confused.

"Matsuru? Is that you?"

She was confused again as she replied, "Yes, it's me."

"Are…" he chuckled quietly and questioned, "Are you speaking Japanese, then? I can't understand you at all."

_Oh! _She realized with a smile. _I_ am _still speaking Japanese!_

Concentrating, she answered him in another second in English. "Oh, sorry about that Cole. I am still getting used to the whole bilingual thing." On the other end, he sighed and chuckled louder this time.

"I like it when you speak Japanese. It suits you and who you are."

She smiled and then he spoke again. "I was calling to check up on you, but I can tell something's up. What is it?"

"N-no," She lied, trying to keep a normal tone and not worry him with all that she was going through. "I am fine, really." But he knew her too well and saw through her lie in an instant.

"Matsuru, tell me the truth. You can trust me…I love you."

Her lip quivered and she bit on it for a moment before sighing and decided to tell him everything. She told Cole everything that had happened to her since she had left Chicago. She left nothiing out, and trusted him completely. He listened, not saying anything as he tried to make sense of everything she told him. Matsuru told him about her drawings of her aunts and how her mother had acted when she saw them. She told him about her aunts kids and what they were like.

The only time she hesitated in her story was before telling Cole about the Mews and the aliens. But, after resigning herself and remembering her trust, she barreled onward and explained that to him too. She told him of her 'father' Masaya and his abuse. Matsuru told him about how he wasn't her real father and how the Mews had defeated him. The last thing she talked to him about was about Kish and how he was her real father.

"That's why my eyes are gold. Apparently, most aliens have gold eyes. I just…I don't know, Cole. There is so much stuff going on, and during all this, I now have a father I have yet to meet and I'm some super hero…I can't deal with this all…" Her voice got thick with oncoming tears, but she tried to hold them back.

"Oh Matsuru…I wish I could be there for you right now." He said, soothingly. Her eyes watered further and she hadn't realized until that moment how sad and agonized she had been over the whole situation.

_But talking to Cole has made me feel so much better. He is my safe rock and my calm amongst the storm. I-_

Her thought was interrupted when a voice sounded from behind her.

"I found you, Matsuru."

She gasped as she spun around, her gaze shifting towards the shadow beneath a large tree. Cole's voice was worried on the other end.

"Matsuru? Are you okay? What's wrong? Is someone there?"

She tried to answer him, but her voice disappeared. The man stepped from the shadows and that's when she finally saw him. When his eyes locked into her's, a sort of strangled noise escaped her lips and her body went numb. The phone dropped from her hand and just before it struck the ground, Cole called out, "Matsuru! What is going-"

Then, the phone struck the cement and clattered a little ways away. Matsuru didn't care because she was too preoccupied with the man that stood before her. Her hand flew to her agape mouth as she took a shaky step back.

"It's…it's you!" She said in a weak voice. The man's lips upturned in a smile as his onyx hair whipped in the breeze. His brown eyes twinkled with kindness, but beneath that, Matsuru could see a layer of hatred and anger.

She took another step back and tripped backward, falling on her butt as the man stepped forward and leaned down. His smile took a sour tone and Matsuru saw time could never change him. He was just as her mother described.

Masaya Aoyama was back.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

D: Ohh, a cliffy! Hooray for me and cliffys! Well, as I said at the beginning, please review and let me know if you want me to do the sequel! Hope you guys liked this-

Matsuru: Hold it! What am I doing with Masaya? Alone!?

D:…You must know by now that I will never tell you until after it's been revealed.

Matsuru: Yeah, yeah. Whatever…--grumble--


	15. Lies

D: Well guys, we're finally back!

Matsuru: --grumble--

D: She's still mad at me because she's with Masaya and doesn't know why…I do, haha!

Matsuru: --grumble--

D: Well, besides her, my happy mood is still here. That is why I am finally uploading this chapter, as my present to you for my good mood! Also, the sequel that was in my mind is now definitely going to be made. Although it won't be as well done as this story, and it doesn't have to be read, I will still do it for this fans who want to know the secret of a particular male character which will come into play later…But in any case, please enjoy this chappie: "Lies"!

DISCLAIMER: I own Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

**WARNING**: This chapter contains mature language.

Chapter 15: Lies

Masaya Aoyama was back.

As Matsuru sat, quivering on the ground, words drenched in fear escaped her lips. "Y-you're Ma-Masaya Aoyama!"

Masaya smiled, his dark eyes remaining cold and hard. His mouth grew into a hard grimace as he said, "Ah, so by your reaction, I can only assume your mother has told you some awful things about me." His tone was sheepish, yet is still contained its cold undertone.

"Don't try t-to act innocent!" She said, bravery leaving her voice with each passing word. "Y-you're a b-bad m-man!" She challenged him with much more confidence in her voice than she actually had. "You abused my mom, and tried to kill us! You are a vicious, cold-hearted, and evil man!" Her frame shook as she spat her anger at him, her bravery quickly evaporating.  
Masaya's expression grew dark and he stepped closer to her, slowly. But she backed up and, with a clang, her spine the metal railing separating her from the Bay. Pain lanced through her back and she bit her lip, containing the gasp that wanted to escape. Her eyes shut involuntarily, and when she opened them a few moments later, Matsuru expected to see Masaya still glaring down at her. But, his gaze had shifted to her exposed inner right thigh. Her eyes followed his, and then, when she saw it, her eyes widened.

On her inner right thigh, just past her skirt line, there was a small, pink tattoo. It was of a heart with what looked like two antennae coming from the top, and below the heart were four dots. Matsuru quickly thought back to when the Mew DNA had been injected into her. She had been with that cat and it had jumped into her thigh. Was this tattoo the mark it left behind?

Masaya's eyes widened at the tattoo in shock, and he mumbled, "You too…? But that means…the…"

As if he realized he was speaking aloud without meaning to, he quickly cleared his throat and composed his features back into his normal self.

"My dear," he began, addressing Matsuru's previous accusations. "I assure you, I would never lay a hand on your or your mother. I loved, and still do love, you both. I am telling you the truth, Matsuru," he spoke. His voice was slick, even, and smooth. It reminded Matsuru of a snake. She shied away from him further into the bars as he took a step closer to her.

"I can see in your eyes that you think I am lying. However, I speak only truths. Your mother is the one who has lied to you, my-"

"You're the liar!" Matsuru exclaimed in absolute anger. "My mom wouldn't lie to me! She would have no reason to!" She defended her mother with firmness, but Masaya only smiled at her the same, sly smile.

"And how do you know she wouldn't lie to you?" He asked in the same, pleasant, even tone. "It's not as if you really know her all that well. After all, she didn't even want you in the first place."

Matsuru met Masaya's eyes as her own began to brim with tears. Her voice became shaky as she asked, "W-what do you m-mean s-she didn't even w-want me?" Her whole body shook with a cold sadness as old doubts and fears began to rise up.

"I mean," Masaya answered softly. "She didn't want you…It's simple to understand, really. After she found out she was pregnant with you, she told me she wanted to abort the baby. I refused and told her to wait it out; to give you a chance. Even after you were born and I discovered that alien Kish was your father, I still wanted you. However, your mother despised you…she was repulsed by the mere sight of you. She and Kish could not believe that they had made such a disgusting monster in this world. And so, without my knowledge, she took you away and dumped you in an orphanage somewhere."

Matsuru found herself unable to breath. Her lungs were constricted by hitching sobs which were slowly making their way through her chest. Her eyes misted over with fresh, glistening tears as she slowly bowed her head.

"N-no," she whispered in a quivery tone as her tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "M-my mom told me wh-what really happened. Y-you are the liar…if y-you had t-truly wanted me l-like you say, t-then you would ha-have saved me f-from that orphanage."

Masaya leaned down slowly to her small, shaking form and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"But I did look for you, Matsuru," he said as he pushed a lock of her red hair behind her ear. "I looked for years after your mother and I split up. But, I just could not find you. Trust me, I wanted to find you and put back our family the way it was meant to be. And, in trying to do so, I exhausted every resource I had and still, I could not find you. I only thought about you and your mother, and how much I loved you both."

Tears rolled freely down Matsuru's cheeks as she sobbed heavily. Masaya gently reached over and wiped away a few tears before placing his hand warmly on her trembling knee.

"My daughter, please, believe me. I only want what is best for you. Your mother is the true villain here."

Her eyes flicked upward to his face as she snapped, "Oh? If she is as villainous as you claim, then why did she come back for me at the orphanage?"

She stared him down, challenging him with her eyes, hoping beyond all hope to find a hole in his perfect story; she hoped to find _something_ that would prove her mother was the kind person and Masaya was the true evil. However, what came out of his mouth tore any hope she might have had.

"Matsuru…the only reason your mother came to claim you from the orphanage was so that her friend, Ryou, could run experiments on you. He wanted to restart his Mew Project, and he knew that your DNA and the DNA of the other girls were the most compatible for it."

Matsuru couldn't breathe. Her chest constricted and her eyes misted over again with fresh tears. But, he ignored her crushing emotions and pushed forward, speaking in a somber tone.

"Why do you think they took you to the Café so suddenly? They wanted to test it on you all as soon as possible when you were gathered together. It wouldn't work otherwise."

Her ears filled with a strange buzzing noise and she didn't know if Masaya continued to talk or if he had stopped. All that she was aware of was that her world that she had discovered and enjoyed for such a short but enjoyable time was collapsing around her. _No,_ she told herself. _It can't be true…he has to be lying! _

But…was he? If her mother had truly wanted her, why had she waited 14 years to come back and claim her? Ichigo had said it was because the alien threat had disappeared fully, but…maybe that was a lie. The reason her mother had come back to claim her…could it have only been to satisfy Ryou's experiment? Maybe…maybe what Masaya was saying…maybe it was right…

And, as Matsuru admitted that to herself, she felt like her body came apart at the seams. She sagged down and sobbed heavily for the second time that night.

"Oh gosh…you're right…" She said the words through her tears and soft sobs.

After a few minutes, her tears diminished and she sat back against the railing, staring into the glittering stars and tried to keep herself together. Masaya stood, his large frame blocking her view of the heavens and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Matsuru," he began in slow, low tone. "They may have lied to you, but I can promise that I will not. Every thing I have uttered has been the truth, and everything I ever tell you will be. I will be honest and protect you from those people in the world like your mother and her friends. I can take this pain you're feeling away."

Her eyes focused on his face, which wore no hints of lies, and watched as he extended his tan hand to her. He smiled and asked in a kind tone, "Will you trust what I say and come with me? Will you allow me to give you everything you deserve; the love and affection you need as well as the help in comprehending your new powers?"

Matsuru stood slowly and gazed at Masaya's hand still. Then, she raised her eyes to his face as he took a step back and asked, "So, my dearest daughter, shall we go?"

As Kish flew quickly over the park where he had seen Matsuru earlier, he landed and looked around quickly. But, in all his searching, he couldn't find her. So, he took to the skies again. He began to fly around the area to see if he could figure out where she had wandered.

After searching for a while, Kish's overly sensitive, alien hearing alerted him to the soft hissing of nearby voices. He flew toward the sound and as he got closer, he heard soft sobs. His attention was sharp as he flew closer to the noise and found himself at a walkway that bordered Tokyo Bay.

Kish hovered above the ground, listening intently again. The sobs had faltered off, but he still heard the hissing of voices. He flew in the direction of the voices and flew cautiously down the path until he saw Matsuru standing before him. Her face was tear stricken and it was filled with much sorrow.

Landing lightly, Kish smiled as he walked toward her. "Oh Matsuru, I am so glad I found you. We've-"

But, his words were caught in his throat as he noticed another figure standing in front of Matsuru. The man had his hand extended to the confused and vulnerable girl and was staring venomously at the alien. The man's name escaped Kish's lips in a snarl.

"Masaya, you bastard! What are you doing here? I thought the Mews killed you!"

Masaya's face still held Kish's gaze with hatred, but he answered in a warm voice, as if to gloat. "Oh, they couldn't kill me. They don't have to power to do that. No, they merely scattered my power so that I couldn't remain in my body. I fled, and it appeared to them that I had been destroyed. However, I was only lingering on the ether plain between the alien and human worlds so that I could recollect my powers and essence. I waited for almost 14 years, recovering and regaining my powers. And then, when I came to my full power once more, I came back to save Matsuru from the family that betrayed her."

Masaya turned his gaze to Matsuru and smiled at her warmly. Kish growled at him as he clenched his fists at his sides.  
"So that's why they could still sense your essence, because you were between worlds. And it disappeared when you left the ether plain."

Masaya didn't answer, but Kish shook his head and growled as he continued his tirade. "You are such a lying bastard," Kish spat. "Besides, you know that Matsuru's family didn't betray her! They love her, and you are the one who tried to kill her!"

Without looking at Kish's enraged form, Masaya answered, "Oh but, that's the lie there. I loved Matsuru and only fought the Mews to protect her and to keep her safe from them and their hate. I wanted to keep her alive, even while Ichigo was so intent on killing our daughter."

Kish roared at that and gave Masaya his most heated and vile glare. "You sick ass! You are not her father, and that is such bull! Ichigo _never_ wanted to harm Matsuru in anyway!"

But, Masaya had begun to ignore Kish's words as he took a small step toward Matsuru.

"You see?" He asked her, looking into her tortured eyes that poured tears of agony. "Do you see their lies, Matsuru? You can run from them, and I will protect you. Just take my hand, dear, and all this pain you're feeling will vanish."

Matsuru looked down to the ground, twisted her hands together for a moment before taking a tentative step forward.

"Matsuru, no!" Kish cried, taking a half step toward her, trying to plead with her fragile state. "Don't listen to him! He is just lying to you so that he can use and your powers! He doesn't really love you. A monster like him could never understand love! Come on now…let me take you back to your family who truly loves you. Keiichiro, Ryou, and your aunts have been looking for you. And, your mother and I have been worried sick." Kish started forward toward Matsuru as he continued his pleas.

"You don't have to feel this pain. I can't promise that everything will be fine because no one can. The world is full of a lot of stuff, but at least you are blessed with people who truly care about you. Their love will help to stop your pain."

Kish was a few feet away from Matsuru when Masaya's head whipped around and he snarled at Kish.

"This does not concern you, Kish!" He roared. "Stay out of this, you pathetic alien scum!"

Matsuru's eyes now swept between Masaya and Kish, confusion and uncertainty clouding her features. Her lip quivered and Kish held his hands out in a gesture of peace. "Matsuru, you can't believe what he says. Masaya never wanted you. He-"

"Is that so?" Matsuru asked coolly as she gazed at him with dark, stormy eyes. "He didn't want me? What about you and my mother? She dumped me in an orphanage for 14 years, and wanted me dead. And you…you never even tried to get to know me... People who care for each other just don't do that to one another. Some parents you are."

Kish flinched at the severity in her tone and felt like every piercing word was a slap in the face. When he looked at her hard, guarded expression, her topaz eyes ablaze with anger, he was reminded briefly of himself as a defiant youth. He used to give many people he'd disliked that glare. But, his insides turned at being the other end of it.

He shook his head and knew that he had to break through that shell and expose Masaya's lies.

"Matsuru, please listen," Kish, again, began to plead. "If I had known that you were my daughter, I would have spent every waking moment I could with you!"

Matsuru drew back her lip and spat, "Lies! You never cared about me! But, he cared!" She flung her arm out and pointed at Masaya as she continued her angry tirade. "He came to look for me! If you and my mother really cared, then I wouldn't have spent the last 14 years in that orphanage, clinging onto the hope that you guys were out there somewhere! I would've been with you two, and we would've been happy! But, neither of you cared…"

Her blazing eyes were doused by tears as she lowered her arm and bowed her head, defeated. When she looked up again, she was letting the tears fall down her face freely. Her voice was resolved when she spoke quietly.

"I won't be forgotten and thrown away anymore. Masaya actually cares about me. He's more of a father to me than you have ever, or will ever try to be…and…I am going with him."

Masaya flashed a triumphant grimace as Matsuru moved closer toward his outstretched hand. Kish shook his head and took another step toward her, his tone frantic now.

"No, Matsuru! Don't fall to his lies! Come back home with me! Don't let him use you!"

As Matsuru laid her hand in Masaya's, he shot his head toward Kish and his eyes clouded with hateful Darkness. The iris and pupil became one black mass and filled his eyes. He growled like a caged animal and said in an echoing voice filled with Darkness, "I thought I told you to stay out of this!"

Suddenly, a dark energy pulsed out from Masaya and struck Kish in his chest. He screamed as a fire spread through out him and he used all of his energy to stay standing upright.

"M-Matsuru, don't go w-with him…p-please…"

Masaya gave another hateful smile as he sent out another beam of dark energy. This one struck Kish in the side and sliced deep into the skin. He screamed out again and wasn't able to stay upright. Kish fell on one knee, but held his side as he looked up to Masaya.

Masaya's face wore a sort of masked surprise that Kish was still conscious. He flicked his wrist and another pulse of energy shot out, this one much bigger than the previous two.

It struck Kish in the chest, and hit him hard enough to send him flying backwards a good 50 feet. His breath was stolen from his lungs and he felt the blood begin to seep from his side onto the sidewalk. Kish coughed and saw blood flying from his mouth. The warmth vanished from the park and a dark, evil mist had begun to swirl around. Kish lifted himself up a little to look at Matsuru.

She still grasped Masaya's hand and the dark mist had begun to swirl about them. A dark charge pulsed out from the ground and drew the mist into them. Matsuru's face had begun to crumble into distress as the mist started climbing over her legs. It wound it's way up her legs and engulfed them in Darkness. Then, just before the mist could completely shroud the two, Kish saw Matsuru's tearstained face as it looked at him. Her eyes seemed to say, "Why did this have to happen to me?"

And then, the mist covered them and in seconds, they vanished. Kish got up quickly, ignoring the agonizing pain in his abdomen and shouted to the mist, "NO! MATSURU!"

His voice echoed back to him from all around in the ever present silence, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from where his daughter had vanished. Her face, her sorrow and pain, was forever engrained in his mind and his heart ached. He had failed…he couldn't bring his daughter back.

"No…no!" He cried out to no one as his legs gave way under him and he collapsed into sobs.

"Ichigo…Matsuru…I am so sorry, to you both…"

Ichigo was pacing worriedly in one of the spare rooms above the Café. She twisted her hands in front of her and kept her eyes plastered to the ground.

After Kish had left, she had gone downstairs and filled everyone in on the recent discovery. This sent everyone off in a flurry of activity. Ichigo had been helping, but seeing her distress and worry that clouded her mind, Keiichiro suggested that she go upstairs and rest until they were ready to leave.

She had lain down for about fifteen minutes, but her mind whirred too much and she couldn't rest. She had begun pacing and thinking about Kish and Matsuru…

Her feet traced the same path over and over again, her shoes clacking an angry staccato against the wood floorboards. It had been a half an hour since Kish had left her and Ichigo hadn't stopped worrying since. What if he couldn't find her? What if something bad had happened to Kish? What if something had happened to Matsuru? What if she was hurt of lost somewhere?

A metallic terror rose up like bile in the back of Ichigo's throat, making it hard for her to breathe. She clutched her chest in terror and collapsed onto the foot of the small bed.

Trying to clear her mind, Ichigo got up when she could breathe again and tried to reason with herself. Worrying needlessly would get her no where, she told herself. Yet, the words could do nothing as she began to pace rapidly like a raving madman.

"Maybe those two found each other and got caught up talking to one another…" She tried to reassure herself as the pacing increased in tempo. "Maybe they went out to dinner, or went for a walk, and-"

But, her words were cut short when, from downstairs, a huge crash sounded. A small scream followed and Ichigo stood completely still, her terror now enveloping her. Her legs became like noodles and the world swam before her eyes as she tried to bite back her fear that had climbed its way back up her throat.

"Don't be a coward," she scolded herself as she ejected her immediate terror. She flung the door open and quickly ran downstairs, ready to face whatever was there, head on. She hadn't fought in years, but Ichigo had a feeling that the memory would resurface without incident. Yet, when she looked at the scene before her, it wasn't anything like she had expected.

The Café was completely empty and calm, not a thing out of place. Ichigo softened her stance slightly and looked around, confused. _What is going on?_ She asked herself the question as she slowly crept into the Café. _I know I heard a loud noise and a scream…_

Ichigo tensed as she listened and found voices humming from the kitchen mixed in with soft sobs.

She quickly ran to the swinging door and burst into the kitchen, once again shocked by what she found. Her four friends, Ryou, and Keiichiro were all crowded into the room, standing around the island. They all wore similar faces of horror and surprise. Pudding was clutching her chest, and Lettuce had tears pouring down her cheeks. Ichigo quickly pushed past Ryou and Mint until she discovered what had everyone else so transfixed. Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to, unsuccessfully, stifle a gasp.

Kish was lying on the island, his face contorted in agony. His hands were holding his side, which was bleeding freely. The crimson blood pooled underneath him and soaked his clothes. His breaths came in short gasps and he was even paler than usual. A sheen of glittering sweat had broken over his whole body and it twisted his disheveled hair, plastering it to his face.

"Kish…KISH!" Ichigo screamed his name as she rushed forward and touched his face tenderly. Her scream had suddenly broken everyone out of their trances. Suddenly, the room was aflame with motion. Pudding took Lettuce to a corner and tried to comfort her. Mint quickly left the room with Keiichiro to get medical supplies and bandages. Zakuro was the only one who stood still. She just watched as Ichigo and Ryou pushed dish towels at Kish's wound to try and stop the bleeding.

"What the hell happened here?" Ichigo asked as she brushed Kish's sweaty bangs from his face. Ryou's mouth only hung agape, as if the sight of the blood had caused him loss of speech. So, Zakuro stepped around the island and answered for him.

"We were preparing things to go in the Café when we all heard a crash from the kitchen, followed by Lettuce's scream. She had been in there with Pudding, and we ran in to see what was wrong. We found Kish writhing in pain on the counter, and bleeding all over the place. We don't know where he sustained these injuries. And then, you ran in here."

Kish's short, labored breaths hung in the air as Keiichiro and Mint returned with the supplies. The two moved in to treat Kish's wound, and when Ichigo moved to give them space, she felt a hand grip her wrist. She looked and saw Kish staring up at her, eyes full of conviction.

"Ichigo, wait…There's…something you need…to know…" Kish struggled to get the words out as his face clenched in another spasm of pain.

"It can wait," she assured him softly. "First we need to get your wound treated, and then-"

"No!" Kish said the one word so firmly that Ichigo paused. "This is…_very_ important…" He reached up and lightly placed his bloody palm on her cheek as he spoke tenderly in a weak, breathy voice.

"Ichigo…I am…so…very sorry…"

As he apologized, tears formed in his eyes and Ichigo was confused. "What do you have to be sorry for, Kish?" She asked the question with true curiosity as she laid her hand over his which rested on her cheek. Kish grimaced as Keiichiro lifted his shirt and gasped. Ichigo looked down at the wound and gasped as well.

There was a huge slice in Kish's side which was not only seeping blood, but a dark substance. The skin around the wound was a dark grey colour and very cold and stiff.

"Kish what happened to you?" Ichigo asked in surprise. Kish shook his head and spoke again, even softer than before.

"Later…not important now…what's…important now…is…Matsuru…"

The name made Ichigo stiffen in worry. "What happened to Matsuru, Kish? Is she okay?"

Kish tried to answer, but no sound emerged from his lips. His eyelids fluttered in unconsciousness, but Ichigo squeezed his hand tight as her voice rose.

"Kish, stay with me now. Come on, love, stay awake! You have to tell me…what happened to our daughter?"

At her words drenched in hysteria, Kish's eyes opened weakly and seeped a few tears before he answered her. "Matsuru…she was…taken…"

"Taken?" Ichigo asked in shock, her voice quavering with worry. "By who? Who took her?"

As Kish's golden eyes found Ichigo's, his face was painted again in another spasm of agony. He coughed and blood trickled from the side of his mouth. When the pain had receded momentarily, Kish looked up at his love once more and whispered the name which made everyone turn cold.

"Masaya…Masaya took…our…daughter…"

And then, his hands went limp as the pain had drawn him into the peaceful ebbing of unconsciousness.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

D: Well, that's it, finally! Chapter 15 is finally up! Thank you to those faithful readers who have waited soooo long for this! I thank you for your continued patience, and I hope you continue to stay tuned for Chapter 16, Plans!

Ichigo: What, that's it? That's all you're leaving us with? What's going to happen to my Kish? How did Kish get those injuries? Where is Matsuru, and why did Masaya take her? How long do we have to wait for the next chapter?

D: Hopefully not long. School's almost over, and I have over half of it written already. So, by the end of the month, it should be up. Again, I thank you for your continued support! Until next chappie!


	16. Remembrance

D: Well, if anyone is still reading this story, I thank you for waiting for my long, not posting months! I am so sorry!

Ichigo: About time! What the heck happened to my family?

D: You'll find out! Now, I would like to take the time to thank those wonderful 6 people who reviewed my last chappie!

_RubyLandry, Brenea3564, Alexandria Volturi, Kisshu-fan4life, kisshufan4ever and Lonilove._

Thank you guys, so much! Now, onto the chappie!

Ichigo: DISCLAIMER-daisukezgirl13 owns Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

_**IMPORTANT: **__I changed the chapter name from "Plans" to "Dreams". Thank you!_

Chapter 16: Dreams

The mood of the Café was somber, hopeless, and utterly defeated. Ichigo sat at a large table with her friends, Ryou, Keiichiro, and a dilapidated Kish. No one spoke, and the silence carried throughout the room like a silent, oppressive force. But, as somber and sad as the group was, no one could quite share the defeated tone of Kish.

He sat next to Ichigo, his fists clenched in silent agony on the table in front of him. While his physical wounds had been bandaged and cleaned, his mental wounds were fresh, and lingered in his brain. He kept seeing Matsuru's tortured face, and kept hearing the same words she'd spoken over and over again, like a song on repeat.

_"If you and my mother really cared, then I wouldn't have spent the last 14 years in that orphanage, clinging onto the hope that you guys were out there somewhere! I would've been with you two, and we would've been happy! But, neither of you cared…"_

A sharp, lancing pain spread through Kish's heart as he clenched his fists tighter and stared down at the table top.

It was entirely his fault; that's what he'd been telling himself all night as he'd recounted what had happened in the park. If he had only shown how much he cared for Matsuru, maybe she wouldn't have fallen prey to Masaya's bitter lies…or, maybe if he had come to visit Ichigo much sooner, she would have told him that he had a daughter, and then he could have gone to help her, or…

The constant "what if's" flew around Kish's brain as he sat at the table in the complete silence. No one had spoken while he had explained the night's events, and not a word was spoken when he had finished. The silence had become as heavy as everyone's laden hearts before finally, Ichigo burst, shaking her head vehemently as she stood.

"No! No, no, no! Matsuru…it couldn't have been true, what she said! Masaya…He-he must have pried into her mind and implanted lies, and other evil things to make her doubt…he had to have implanted a lie! He was the one who made her say those things!"

Ichigo slammed her fist down hard on the table, causing Lettuce to start with fright. Everyone stared at Ichigo as she slowly collapsed into her seat, her own private agony writhing in her chest. Tears began to gather in her eyes, and she wiped them away roughly with the back of her hand. As she was rubbing her eyes, she felt a pair of gentle hands take hers and lower them away from her face. She gazed up into Kish's tortured eyes and knew that he was sharing much of the same grief as she was.

"Ichigo," he began, his voice soft and pained. "We aliens have great power and strength, but we have no power over the minds of others. We cannot make another person do anything they don't want to, or else we would have used that to take over the earth. He may have led her to doubt herself and us but…the words she spoke were, in some form, how she truly felt."

The silence grew even heavier, everyone thinking about what had just been said. Ichigo looked down to her lap and thought about her daughter. She didn't know that much about her. She had only gotten to spend a year with her before she had to be sent away. Even when she had come back to live with Ichigo, Ichigo hadn't even bothered to ask how everything was affecting her. She had been so inconsiderate of her own daughter...

As she was thinking, some of Ichigo's internal monologue spilled out.

"You know, we had found no trace of Masaya in this world. That's why we thought it would be safe to bring Matsuru back…and I ended up taking her away from the boy she loved, and then the girls all got turned into Mews…and…and…" Ichigo's head dropped even further as she gritted her teeth against the wracking guilt that was slowly bubbling up her throat and tearing her heart.

"I never even thought about how much stress and pressure she was under…It was like she said…I didn't _care_…" She hung her head as her voice broke on the last word. Kish reached over and wove his fingers through her's. She allowed him to do so, seeking the comfort that he brought.

"You know, Ichigo," Lettuce began, her voice quavering with her emotions. "No one can know what another person is thinking. You couldn't have known all that Matsuru was feeling and undergoing. She-"

"She is my daughter," Ichigo interjected, her eyes brimming over with fresh tears. "She is my daughter and I should have known…"

Ichigo dropped her head again as the fresh tears were running down her cheeks, each one standing for a different reason of pain. One was for all of Matsuru's unspoken pain, one was for the guilt Ichigo herself felt, one was for the trouble she had caused her friends, one was for Kish…

Her face was lifted by Kish's long, thin fingers so that he could look directly into her hopeless eyes. He caressed her face in his palm and wiped away her tears with his thumb as he spoke in the softest voice he had yet used that evening.

"She is _our_ daughter, and if you are to blame, then I am as well. You don't have to be alone in this, Ichigo." He kissed both of her tear stained cheeks and her mouth wore a small smile that lightened up the atmosphere a little bit. However, those few moments of warmth were broken when Ryou spoke, his voice ringing out in the silence.

"However nice this is, we can't get sidetracked. What are we going to do about rescuing Matsuru? We only know that she's with Masaya, and that she's been damaged emotionally. Other than that, we have no way of knowing where she is, or how to reach her."

The heavy, oppressive silence returned as everyone dove into their thoughts, searching for a way to locate the lost girl. The silence pursued for a good long while as everyone became absorbed in thought. Finally, just as Ichigo was beginning to completely give up hope, Keiichiro's eyes got wide as he exclaimed, "I know! We can track her using the computers here at the Café! We already have her Mew DNA, so all we have to do is link it to the computers, and set them to search for her!"

The room was still for a moment before it erupted in a flurry of activity. Ryou stood excitedly with Keiichiro as the two made their way towards the basement door.

"That just might work!" Ryou approved. "It will take some time to register the DNA, and then a little more to track her down, but it should work. I don't know why we didn't think of this much sooner! Now, how do you think the best…"

His words faded as the two men disappeared into the basement. Lettuce stood with Zakuro and decided to go check on the other children. Just before they went upstairs, however, Lettuce went to Ichigo and clutched her hand in a surprisingly strong grip.

"Don't worry, Ichigo, we'll find her. And, when you are all reunited again, you'll be the best family ever. So…don't loose faith yet, okay?" She gave Ichigo a warm smile before letting go of her hand and climbing the stairs with Zakuro following behind her.

The only people remaining at the table were Pudding, Mint, Kish, and Ichigo. As she pondered on Lettuce's words, tears of happiness spilled down Ichigo's cheeks as she laid her head in her hands.

"We can do it," she murmured softly. "We can save her…Thank God." A true smile stretched over her lips soundlessly and just as she was about to say something to Kish, her phone began to chirp its merry ringtone. Everyone looked to her phone as she pulled it out, all wearing identical looks of confusion.

Glancing at the clock and the lateness of the hour, Ichigo asked aloud, "Who in the world would be calling me this late?"

As she flipped open the pink phone, she answered tentatively, not recognizing the number, "Hello?" However her eyes widened as the voice on the other end answered frantically. Kish, Mint, and Pudding stared as her face drained of color. She looked at Kish with wide eyes as he asked softly, "Who is it?"

Ichigo only stared at him for a moment before responding softly, "It's Cole, Matsuru's boyfriend. And, he says he heard part of what happened with Matsuru and Masaya."

The room fell back into its usual silence as Ichigo put the phone on speaker. The silence was replaced with the frantic tone of Cole, his voice nervous and cracking.

"Cole," Ichigo said in English, calmly. "Please, start from the beginning. My friends and I must find out as much as we can about what happened to Matsuru in order to help save her."

Cole agreed and began to tell his story. And as they listened, Ichigo couldn't help but notice how hard he was trying to keep his voice calm and controlled.

"Well, earlier, I called Matsuru because I wanted to check up on her, and the moment she started speaking, I could tell there was something wrong with her. I asked her about it, and she started explaining about everything about her drawings of her aunts and how you acted when you saw them. She told me about her aunt's kids and what they were like. And then she started telling me about aliens and these things called Mews, and how she was now one of them."

Everyone in the room exchanged uneasy glances at the mention of the Mews. She had told him about that?

_She must really trust him with all of her heart, to entrust her biggest secret with him…_

Ichigo thought the words as she looked down at the pink phone through which Cole continued his explanation.

"And then, she began to explain about her supposed father, Masaya and how he'd been abusive. She told me that he wasn't her real father, but some alien named Kish was. After that…"

He paused, loosing some of the control his voice had. But, he cleared his throat and barreled onward.

"After that, she began to cry, and as I began to tell her things would be okay, I heard a man's voice call out to her, saying he'd found her. Matsuru sounded shocked at the voice, and I tried calling out to her, but the next thing I knew, the phone sounded like it fell to the ground. After that, I only caught little parts of what was being said. I know that the man was Masaya, and he was telling Matsuru things about her family not truly loving her, and they were just using her. However, the phone started to falter, and the last thing I heard were Matsuru's sobs."

A heavy sigh was heard through the phone and Kish looked to Ichigo whose eyes had glazed over in a state of shock. Masaya had said things like that…and she believed him so easily?

_Then she must not have known how much we truly love her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen prey to his lies._

"And so," Cole continued, his voice barely contained any longer. "I know the gist of what happened to her, and now I am so worried. Who knows what that…that _bastard_ has done to her? It makes me sick…But that is beside the point now. I need to know that Matsuru is safe again. So please, I am begging you, Ms. Momomiya. Allow me to come to Tokyo and aid you in your searching for Matsuru…Please! There's nothing more important to me than Matsuru now!"

The words he spoke struck out hard at Ichigo. They were all too familiar words.

_As Ichigo stood before Deep Blue in her Mew outfit, Kish kneeled before him and said with a small lilt in his voice, "Master Deep Blue…I understand that placing a sword against you, my messiah, means the same thing as turning my back to my clan. But…"_

_All lightness disappeared from Kish's face as he lowered his chin and his eyes sparked dangerously._

"…_There's nothing more important to me than Ichigo now!"_

As Ichigo looked into Kish's warm eyes, she was reminded again of how much this boy Cole reminded her of Kish. They both shared the same determination and spirit. However, if Cole came to Tokyo in the midst of all the fighting, he could be injured. Thinking back onto the day when Kish had fought for her and lost…She couldn't be responsible for another person's death.

Just as she was on the brink of saying no, Kish grabbed her hand and said in a warm voice, "Ichigo, let the boy come. He _needs_ to do this. Plus, with the connection he and Matsuru share, he could be of much use in bringing her back to us. We will be able to look after him and protect him. But, we both know denying him this may very well cause him pain. And imagine what he will feel if something happens to Matsuru and he couldn't be here to help. He'll never forgive himself. He must come."

Ichigo's eyes glistened with tears at all Kish and Cole had said. Nevertheless, she couldn't just sit around and cry. It was the time for action. And Kish was very right; Cole needed to come to Tokyo.

"Cole," Ichigo began to answer the boy. "I will do everything in my power to get you here. I will see if my friend Ryou can send his private jet to come get you as quickly as possible. With any luck, we can get you to Tokyo in just under a day. In a situation such as this, time is indeed of the essence."

Cole agreed wholeheartedly and thanked Ichigo profusely. He went to get Mr. Hobbs as Mint and Pudding went down into the basement to explain everything to Ryou.

Finally, it was just Kish and Ichigo left in the room. Ichigo once again laid her head in her hands, trying not to allow herself to be crushed by the oppressive sadness, uncertainty, and – as much as she didn't want to admit it – fear.

The familiar, warm touch she was becoming all too used to brushed back some hair from her face and pushed it behind her ear. She looked up to thank Kish for the comforting gesture, but she knew that no matter what he did, she couldn't be calm or comfortable until Matsuru was back with her family, safe and sound…

Kish's hands tugged at her's as he pulled them gently from her face. He smiled at her when she looked up at him and then, he pulled her into a warm embrace, wrapping his long arms around her and resting his cheek on the top of her head. Ichigo could feel that he was trying to be strong, as if he could protect her from the gnawing feelings she had, but because she knew him so well, she could feel the slight trembling throughout his body.

"Ichigo," he began. "I know that things in your world appear as if they're spiraling out of you control and into a deep, dark, and unwelcome place. But, no matter what, we have to remain strong. Matsuru will be needing our strength as she fights off the lies Masaya has turned on her. She will need us to be strong so that she has someone to count on as she fights her own doubts. Even though things will try to tear us down, we must be strong. And we can always be strong together."

Ichigo nodded, overwhelmed at the truth in his words. She tightened her arms around his waist and spoke gently against the folds of his shirt.

"I know, Kish. But how can I be strong against Masaya's lies when Matsuru believes them so much? She must be feeling so betrayed right now…And betrayal in the eyes of someone her age is twice as heartbreaking as an adult's betrayal. She will not only be betrayed, but she will also feel that we've lied about everything, so she will loose her trust in us…"

She lifted her head to look up into his golden eyes as she continued her thoughts, her voice quavering.  
"I mean, what if we can't get to her…what if Masaya's lies have cut me off from her forever? What if…what if she's completely lost from me, Kish? I don't want to loose my daughter. I've already had to live without her for 14 years due to Masaya. I don't want to be without her anymore, and…"

Her words trailed off as a yawn took form on her lips. She dropped her head back onto Kish's chest heavily, listening to the steady beating of his heart. He ran his fingers gently through her red hair as he kissed the crown of her head.

"Come on, Ichigo," Kish murmured as her helped her up. "You've had a stressful few days and I imagine that you've probably been up for way too many hours, right?"

Ichigo looked away from his solid glare, sheepishly and he nodded, half bemused and half concerned.

"That's what I thought. Come on, time for you to get some sleep."

Kish held her hand as they walked up the stairwell. Even though she was exhausted, Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the warmth that spread throughout her body at the simple touch of Kish's hand to her's.

When they reached one of the spare, unused bedrooms, Kish opened the door, flipped on the light, and led Ichigo over to the bed, which was covered in a muted pink comforter. Ichigo collapsed gratefully onto it and Kish chuckled at her. He sat on the foot of the bed and removed Ichigo's shoes silently. Picking her up lightly, he pulled the covers up and set her beneath them, tucking them up to her chin. Ichigo smiled up at him and said in a bleary voice, "Thank you so much, Kish."

Kish leaned down with a smile and planted a small kiss on her red lips before responding, "It's no problem my koneko-chan. Get some sleep."

He brushed her hair from her face and caressed her cheek softly before he turned and walked to the door. Kish turned and gave one last loving look to Ichigo before he clicked the light off and exited the room silently.

Ichigo listened to Kish's lithe footsteps echo down the hall and disappear after a few moments. A smile lingered on Ichigo's lips as she snuggled down under the warm comforters. She laid in the darkness for a while, tossing and turning as she listened to the hum and chirp of the cicadas outside. Her body was heavy and she felt exhausted, but her mind refused to rest. It spun around, much too frantic to allow her to fall into calming sleep.

Rolling onto her side, Ichigo looked up at the pale sliver of moon which hung in the onyx sky. It cast its eerie glow over her pale face, and lit up the landscape outside, making it seem like it was a different world. Sighing, she ran her fingers lightly over the blanket under which she laid and kept staring out to the sky.

_It's amazing,_ she said internally. _These same stars I am staring at are the same stars that other people see all over the world. And, not to long ago, there lived a man among them who I love and who loves me. It's sort of funny how something so small like the stars can make you think of everything in a whole new light._

After what felt like an eternity, Ichigo finally felt the exhaustion in her body take over her mind and subdue it. Her eyelids drooped and she could feel sleep beckoning her tenderly and as the calming wave of drowsiness finally swept her away, she yawned one last time and glanced back up to the silvery moon before sleep took her under.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

The first thing Ichigo knew was that she was dreaming. She didn't know how, but somehow she knew that everything she was seeing and feeling was a dream. She was wearing a pearl white, very soft short-sleeved dress. Her feet were bare, but her ankles were adorned with ornate anklets inlaid with topaz that chimed whenever she moved. As she brought her hands up to look at them, she noticed that her wrists were adorned with the same chiming bracelets. A silver chain hung around her neck which had a larger piece of topaz hanging from it, resting gently against her pale chest.

Ichigo looked up and found herself standing in the middle of a pure white hallway. It seemed about 10 feet across, but however it seemed endless, stretching on to eternity. She glanced behind her and saw that it was also endless in the other direction.

She stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do, when something in her mind told her to start moving forward. Figuring there was nothing to do until she awoke, Ichigo obeyed and started moving down the hallway slowly, her anklets and bracelets the only noise as they jingled lightly.

There was nothing along the expanse of hallway except Ichigo and her growing curiosity. She knew that this was a dream, however…it seemed very different from normal dreams. She was much more aware of things in this dream, and she felt like there was a purpose.

But that seemed somewhat silly to her. This was a _dream._ In most definitions, a dream was a person's imagination running wild while they slept. Most things that were running wild were not set with a purpose and goal.

While she was immersed in her thoughts, she noticed that a door suddenly appeared in her periphery. Her head shot up as she walked to it slowly, as if some unseen force was guiding her there.

When Ichigo stood in front of the door, she glanced around warily, but was momentarily crestfallen when she noticed that it was the only door in sight. Returning her attention to the white door, she cautiously reached her hand and tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Well, that was a waste of my time," she exclaimed exasperated as she threw up her hands and began to walk away. Yet, Ichigo slowed in her walk when she heard a faint hiss from behind her. Turning slowly, Ichigo was surprised to find the door now standing ajar.

The door remained that way as Ichigo stood before it, pondering on what she should do. However, after a few moments, her curiosity won out and she approached the door once more. Hesitating only a moment, she gripped the handle and pulled the door open in a sudden, quick gesture.

The moment the door swung open, Ichigo felt like the world tipped on its side and she was flung into the doorway. But, however shocking it was, she didn't scream. A light wrapped itself around her and made her feel very warm and comfortable. It was a familiar and wonderful presence which calmed her greatly.

After only a second of free falling, Ichigo suddenly found herself dropped right into the middle of a scene…a scene which made her jaw drop.

She was standing in a very active hospital room. No…it was a delivery room. Doctors and nurses were moving about frantically as the tended to a woman who was panting on the bed in the middle of the floor. Sweat plastered the woman's red hair to her face as she screamed in a moment of pain. Ichigo was so swept up in the scene that it took her a moment to recognize the woman.

She was squeezing the hand of a dark-haired man. He tried to comfort her as she groaned in agony. As the doctors told her to push, the red-haired woman's face grimaced in pain as she screamed again.

Even in the midst of it all, Ichigo couldn't believe that she was staring at her mother. She was young and grasping onto the hand of Ichigo's father like it was the only thing that could save her.

"Come on, Sakura," her father said worriedly. "You can do it. Just push!"

Her mother's scream echoed throughout the room wildly as Ichigo murmured to herself, "Oh my…I think I am watching…my own birth!"

The feeling was a little strange, yet somehow, Ichigo knew her thoughts were right.

After minutes of effort and struggle, the cry of a newborn pierced the air. Ichigo couldn't help but smile as she watched the newborn being quickly wrapped in cloth as it thrashed around. A nurse handed the bundle to Ichigo's mother, who took it tenderly, smiling down at her child.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Momomiya," one of the doctors said brightly. "It's a beautiful, healthy baby girl."

Ichigo watched as her mother held the infant and beamed happily. Her father placed an arm around his wife's tired shoulders as he gazed lovingly down on his wife and new daughter. He brushed some sweaty hair from his wife's face and pecked her lightly on the forehead. "She is beautiful," he whispered. "Just like her mother."

"Oh, Seichiro," her mother gleamed, looking beautiful in spite of having just given birth.

One of the nurses stepped forward, a smile spread over her lips, and asked tenderly, "Do you have any ideas about what you're going to name her?"

The couple shifted their gazes to the fussing, thrashing babe and smiled as Sakura whispered, "Ichigo. Her name will be Ichigo Momomiya."

Suddenly, the scene blurred together and Ichigo felt a sudden jerking behind her navel. She was pulled upward, through the warmth and light once more, before she was deposited back in front of the door.

It was the exact same door, except that a word was now written eloquently in gold at eye-level. The word simply read: "Birth".

A loud, resounding boom caused Ichigo to spin around, looking down the hallway. Doors had suddenly appeared, running the length of the hallway. However, instead of being closed like the first door was initially, they were all open and in them, Ichigo saw glimmers and pieces of her past shining out at her.

A smile started growing until it was a full blown grin. She began to move slowly down the hallway, until her feet began to move into a fast walk, and then a run, and then a sprint.

As she ran down the hallway, she peered into some of the different memories and couldn't help but laugh in exuberance. She watched herself slowly grow up through the doors. There was her first birthday, her first day of school, her first school award…

Once she arrived in her teenager years, she slowed down to a walk, wanting to savor some of her favorite memories. But, when she arrived to the memory of her first date with Masaya, she halted to a stop. Ichigo's breath hitched painfully when she watched how young and innocent he seemed. At that age, Ichigo would have never suspected that he would turn into the angry, abusive, and evil man that he had become.

Ichigo turned away from him and the painful memories that surfaced about him. Hatred spewed up and left a metallic, bitter taste in her mouth. Trying to rid herself of the negativity brought on by Masaya, she turned her head across the hall to the next memory, which was from the same day.

In the memory, Ichigo watched herself standing near Café Mew Mew with Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro. The ground was shaking and a bright light had begun to envelop them. It was that light that had injected the girls with Mew DNA…the DNA which had changed her life and which set her on the path to meet…

"Kish…" Ichigo whispered the name as it echoed down the hall. As if understanding her plea, something inside her led her to another door further down the hall. She watched the shimmering doorframe for only a moment before reaching her hand out into the light substance. Once again, as before, the world seemed to tip on its side and she was flung into the airy substance as warmth caressed her. And then, after only a moment of free fall, she found herself back on her feet, implanted in another memory. As she instantly recognized the place, she smiled at the nostalgia.

It was the zoo. Ichigo watched herself, much younger than she was currently, standing with a very young but equally energetic Pudding. And then, she heard his voice ring out.

"I wanted to see the human trying to sabotage our plan. But you're pretty cute!"

The young Ichigo looked up defiantly and asked in a firm tone, "Who are you?"

A dark cloak was dropped over the young girl and she struggled under it as she exclaimed, "Aaah!" And then, the figure who had spoken flew down quickly. When the present Ichigo saw him, her breath was taken away.

His green hair was almost the same as present day, only it was shorter. His body was slightly leaner and his demeanor seemed much more playful. The only thing about him that remained completely unchanged were his golden eyes which were alit with life, gleaming with unparalleled passion. And yet, through all the changes, Ichigo's heart still called out and yearned for Kish's.

The younger Kish flew down to the younger Ichigo and when she had finally untangled herself from the dark fabric, he gave a sly grin and reached in, planting a warm, tingling kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

The younger Ichigo kicked out at the alien in outrage and gave him a defiant glare as he flew back, grabbing the dark fabric. He flung it casually over his slim shoulders and licked his lips before he spoke.

"I'm Kish. Thanks for the kiss."

The memory dissolved once more as Ichigo felt the now familiar jerking behind her navel before being pulled through the warmth and being deposited out in the hallway. A smile which had begun to play on her lips slowly died away as she thought about the past. Walking slowly down the hall barely glancing at the memories now, Ichigo thought deeply.

In the past, she had completely ignored Kish's feelings and yet, no matter how many times she pushed him away, he kept coming back, always loving her. And she had been so enamored with Masaya that she couldn't look ahead to see the man Masaya would become.

As she wandered through her past, Ichigo found herself wanting for all that had been. She had taken so much for granted, and all she truly wanted was to change what had happened. And, more than anything, Ichigo wondered what would have become of her. What if she had accepted Kish? What if they had been together earlier? Would Masaya have turned out more evil, or less? What would have become of Matsuru had she been cared for by both of her parents since birth?

Plagued by the difficult questions, Ichigo noticed she'd left her adolescence behind and was on her way through adulthood. She saw her marriage to Masaya and the preceding months, the last few that were enjoyable before he had changed her life forever. As she looked in on all of her mistakes in the making, she had a thought that lightened her heart considerably.

_Were it not for the past as it was, I wouldn't truly appreciate what I have now. Because of the hardships I struggled through, I was able to be where I am now with the love of my life. There is so much more to undergo, but with Kish by my side, I can handle anything._

As she passed by one of the open doors, she noticed a memory that made her chuckle. Moving toward it and peering inside, Ichigo let out a full hearted laugh as she said aloud, "I remember this day…it was one of the best days during my marriage to Masaya. It was…" But, her words trailed off as she smiled and walked into the door. She embraced the warmth and light as she was tipped into it once again. When she landed in the scene, Ichigo couldn't repress the smile that rose up on her lips.

Ichigo was watching herself moving around the kitchen of her house. It was the same house she lived in now, the one she and Masaya used to own together.

The Ichigo that was moving about the kitchen was younger, yet wore temporary worries on her face that showed the stress she was beginning to undergo at her age. She was dressed in a floral printed summer dress and her red hair was tucked up underneath a pink bandana. Shuffling around the hot kitchen, she opened the window over the sink and then went back to the stove.

Ichigo remembered this day clearly. She'd been preparing a large dinner for Masaya when he got home as a surprise. She wanted to do something unexpected and nice for him and put forth her full effort into cooking.

The young Ichigo had a simplistic smile plastered on her lips, busying herself with extravagant amount of food.

Walking around the counter, Ichigo watched her younger self's happy demeanor and for a split second was envious of the simple joys she possessed. This was a time before Ichigo had ever discovered her adulterous husband's ways. She was so innocent, so young, so…

But the jealousy and envy passed as she shook her head and the memory continued. After a minute, the phone that was anchored to the wall rang shrilly. The young Ichigo jumped slightly in surprise and quickly went to answer it, wiping her hands on her apron before she answered the phone cheerily.

"Hello?"

There was a buzzing on the other end and Ichigo thought back to the conversation from all those years ago. It had been Masaya on the other end. He'd called to explain to Ichigo that he might be getting home a little late, and he was sorry. He would do everything he could to get home, but he wasn't sure if he could get away.

As the younger Ichigo hung the phone up, the smile that had been present the whole time disappeared as she slumped back to the stove. Disappointment colored her features as looked down at the food that would never be eaten by her husband.

She turned the stove top burners fiercely and leaned against the counter, pulling off her bandana slowly. A small bubble of mirthless laughter escaped her lips as she stared out the window.

"Why do I even bother if nothing ever comes of it?"

The younger Ichigo hung her head dejectedly and shook it back and forth as if trying to clear it. The present Ichigo felt sorrow rise up in her as she watched her younger self cry silently over the wasted effort to please the man she loved. How many times had Masaya disappointed her to this point? How many times had he chosen "work" over her? How many times did "work" mean his affair?

But, the memory didn't stay in sorrow for long. As the older Ichigo looked around, she took note of the time and felt a smile rise up on her lips. It was coming soon. In 5, 4, 3, 2…

A small pop reached the older Ichigo's ears but she didn't turn around, knowing what was to follow. And when his smooth voice cut through the silence, Ichigo smiled.

"Boo."

The younger Ichigo spun around in a flash, eyes widening at the figure that was now leaning against the wall between the kitchen and living room. The older Ichigo followed her gaze to see Kish give the younger girl his sweet crooked smile. He was much older than he had been in the previous memory she'd visited. His forest green hair was longer in this memory and he had much more muscle on him. And yet again his ocher eyes were the only things that remained unchanged. They remained in their fiery passion, so filled with life.

"Kish," the younger Ichigo said, her hand placed gently over her rapidly beating heart. She still had tears on her pale cheeks from her disappointment over Masaya and when she realized it, she wiped them away as quick as she could. But the action wasn't missed or the tears hidden from Kish.

He stood up straight and walked around the island, giving Ichigo a warm, smoldering smile.

"Hey koneko-chan. What's wrong?"

Kish wiped her remaining tears away in a brief caress of her cheek. For a moment, the young Ichigo leaned into his hand, closing her eyes as she felt happy. But, when she realized exactly what she was doing, she pulled away and made her way back to the stove top, answering Kish's question.

"Well, I was making a huge dinner to surprise Masaya tonight, but he said he might get caught up at work and be unable to make it home in time. To some people, that'd still have some hope in it, but when Masaya says it, usually that's a certainty. I was simply crying because I did all this cooking for nothing."

She turned back to Kish, wearing a small, forced smile as she asked her own question.

"What are you doing here, Kish?"

A look of mock hurt swept over Kish's face as he laid a hand over his heart, like the words had wounded him. "What? I'm not allowed to just visit? C'mon! There's nothing to it other than I wanted to come see you."

Ichigo gave a genuine smile to him and turned back to the stove top, moving the pots around.

"Well if you're here to visit, you can always be useful and help me clean up."

Kish came over to her side and looked at the dinner half finished. His brow furrowed as she looked to the young Ichigo and asked simply, "How about we don't clean up?"

The young Ichigo swatted at him with a weak blow and the two laughed before Kish continued.

"No, I don't mean that I don't want to clean up. I just mean, why let all of this go to waste? We can finish this together and the two of us can have dinner."

The young girl seemed like she was going to protest and deny him and his idea, but her face contorted in deep thought as she looked to her half finished dinner, to the phone, and then to Kish. After what seemed like an eternity, she nodded and smiled as she said, "You know what? Sure."

Kish smiled and was on the verge of taking the pot from Ichigo's hands when she yanked it away quickly, her own brows furrowing.

"Wait a second…can you even cook?"

Kish looked offended for a moment before he gave a roar of laughter and gave Ichigo a flirtatious wink.

"My dear koneko-chan, is there anything I can't do?"

He quickly gave the young Ichigo a peck on the cheek and she swatted at him half-heartedly with a wooden spoon. Playing it off like it was nothing, the young Ichigo turned back to the stove and started to finish dinner.

But, as Ichigo watched the two before her, she knew that small kiss had been more than nothing. That one kiss had made her feel so loved and alive after months of Masaya's aloof behavior.

Ichigo felt the hooking sensation behind her navel and was dropped back into the expanse of hallway in a few moments. She began to walk again down the hall and into her adulthood. As she walked, Ichigo realized suddenly why that small, seemingly insignificant kiss had made her feel so amazing. It was that day that Ichigo had truly started falling deep in love with Kish, even if she hadn't realized it yet.

The never ending hall stretched even further as Ichigo began to enter her very recent memories. She saw herself and Matsuru together in Chicago, the flight, the Café, and the explanation that had sent her only daughter fleeing away from her in anger and hatred.

She quickly moved past those few memories until she found herself peering into the memory of her and Kish in the spare room of the Café. He was tucking her into bed, and then he left her to her dreams. It was the last door, the last memory, and so – Ichigo had thought anyway – the end of the hallway. But, she was wrong. The white walls stretched far beyond Ichigo's last memories and she was curious.

"Nothing should be ahead…unless it's the future…?"

Ichigo began to move with purpose down the hallway, staying alert for signs of another door, but to no avail. The sound of her bare feet padding along echoed around her as she quickened her pace slightly. When her frustration began to overtake her, she began to run down the hall.

After minutes of nothing, Ichigo was all to ready to give up hope and abandon such a futile effort. But, suddenly ahead of her appeared just what she had been searching for – the last door, and the end of the hallway.

The door seemed close enough, but the harder Ichigo ran towards it, the smaller it seemed to get. She broke into a sprint, running faster than she'd run in a long time, yet the door remained out of reach. Ichigo pushed herself even harder and leapt with strength.

_Somehow or other, I _need _to get to that door…I can feel there's something important behind it that I have to see!_

With her last leap, the door very suddenly was right in front of her, as if it had been there all along. She stopped her running short and stood breathless before the huge door.

Unlike the other doors in the hallway, this one was paneled with a dark wood, polished to an almost impossible perfection. The size alone was incredible to behold, as it took up the entire width and height of the hallway it dwelt in.

However, while it was beautiful, it also seemed to seep a dark, evil energy. This simple fact alone was almost enough to deter Ichigo from entering the door, but she still felt the compelling desire to see what lay on the other side of the door.

Ichigo reached out a pale, trembling hand and hesitated for a moment before placing it on the large handle. A shot of icy energy shot up Ichigo's arm, freezing her down to her core, but she ignored the sharp pain and pushed the door inward with surprising ease.

The moment the door opened, Ichigo was immediately hit in the face with a bitter wind that caused her pearly dress to flap all around her slim form and her red hair to twist in wild tangles.

The wind then went from an onslaught to a pushing force from behind her, as if it were trying to push her into the vast expanse of swirling, teeming blackness that lay through the doorframe. She dug her bare heels into the white floor, but couldn't stop herself from being pushed an inch at a time toward the door. As much as she had wanted to discover the door's secrets, she wanted to get away from it now. It was evil, whatever was inside, and she was filled with dread and fear.

As she teetered on the precipice, she saw the darkness swirling about in heavy, thick masses that glinted dangerously. Before she could even allow the scream in her throat to escape, the wind pushed her with a hard shove and she fell head over feet into the doorframe.

When she had fallen in the other memories, they had caressed her in warmth and light. This memory however felt like falling into the deepest pit of darkness there ever was. Cold, bitter winds whipped at her skin, so cold that they stung harshly. The dark masses enveloped her and compressed around her so much that she could hardly breathe, let alone scream as she wished she could. The wonderful dream had somehow turned into a horrifying nightmare.

Thankfully, the awful winds and oppressive darkness only lasted a few seconds more as Ichigo landed on her two feet. The darkness seemed to lessen around her, though it was still present. The ground burned her feet it was so cold. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to shield her unprotected arms from the lashing winds. As she took in a large breath to try and calm herself, she coughed and tried to exhale the breath just as quickly, trying to get it out of lungs. The air was rancid and stung her throat and nostrils viciously.

As Ichigo looked around, unable to see much past a foot around her, she asked out loud, "What memory is this? Just where am I?"

The questions echoed around her as she pivoted back and forth, trying to decide which direction to go. As she looked around, her ears picked up a faint sound. At first, Ichigo tried to ignore it, but after another seconds, she heard it again. Only this time, she recognized the sound; it was a scream. Ichigo spun around, listening carefully and realized the scream came from somewhere behind her. Without thinking, she began to move toward it slowly. For every few steps she took, she heard the screaming again and again, each time growing louder and more anguished.

After another minute, the scream echoed louder around Ichigo than it ever had before. This time, Ichigo recognized the voice, even though she'd only heard it scream once before. Her face emptied of blood and her eyes widened, stopping dead in her tracks.

"No," she whispered to herself. "No, it can't be…No!"

Her legs began moving before her brain registered the action as she began to sprint toward the screams. Frustration at her apparent lack of progress infuriated her. She had to move faster…she had to get there…she had to see if it was…

And then suddenly right in front of her, it was as if someone swept the darkness away. A scene suddenly appeared in front of her and Ichigo found herself peering into her worst nightmare.

There was a sobbing figure that was slumped over. Her wrists were torn and bloody from the chains which bound them to the wall behind her. Cuts ran up and down her arms and her red dress was bloodied and torn in several places. When she lifted her head weakly, Ichigo's eyes filled with the tears she knew would come. Her worst fear had been realized; it had been Matsuru screaming. But what could have caused her to be like this?

As if to answer her internal question, a figure seemed to materialize from the darkness and stepped forward. When Ichigo saw his face, all of her past fears returned.

Masaya.

He looked just as he used to; his onyx hair, his tanned skin, and his brown eyes which used to carry such warmth, but now were filled with venomous hatred. All of it was the very same, as if he hadn't aged a day since the Mews thought they'd defeated him.

Masaya leaned down next to Matsuru and grabbed a fist full of her hair, jerking her head back violently as he spoke calmly into her ear. His voice stilled made Ichigo shiver as she tried repressing her old fears.

"Now Matsuru, let's try this again. Eventually it will have to sink in. Answer the question correctly this time, and all this pain will go away, I promise."

He let go of her hair and she slumped forward again, as if she didn't have the strength to even look at him. Her slim figure was shaking as the blood from her wrists ran down her pale arms.

Masaya stood above her and curled his upper lip as he asked, "Who loves you?"

Matsuru trembled even more as she lifted her head, blinking her eyes slowly before raising her gaze to his dark eyes and answering tentatively.

"W-well…Cole l-loves me, and y-you said you did at the p-park–"

But her answer was replaced with an earsplitting scream as Masaya flung out his hand and dark crackling energy surged up around her. It sliced deep into her skin and electrocuted every nerve in her body, sending her into spiraling agony.

Rage boiled up in Ichigo as she watched Masaya smile at Matsuru's screams…her pain.

The dark energy subsided after a few moments, and Matsuru slumped over once more, new sobs making their way up her throat.

Masaya glared down at her, like he had a right to be angry with her, and said in an arctic tone, "No. There is no love in this world. There is only hate. Hate them, Matsuru; hate your pathetic family and foolish friends. Give up your petty childish hopes of love. It's okay, just give in. They all hate you anyway, so it's alright for you to hate them back. I mean, no one could ever love a pathetic little waste of space like you. They all think the same. So, hate them all, Matsuru! Absorb the power hate can offer you and use it to hurt those who have hurt you. Accept the hate…Accept it!"

Matsuru remained absolutely still, the only movement coming from her uncontrollable sobs. But, after what felt like an eternity to Ichigo, Matsuru shook her head slowly and deliberately. Masaya's face had a look of absolute fury and rage color it as he flung his hand out once more and called on the dark energy. The scream that escaped Matsuru's lips was ten times as loud and pained as any other scream she had uttered. The energy crackled menacingly around her, shocking every surface on her body, causing her to jerk unnaturally. Masaya let out an inhuman laugh as he stepped closer to Matsuru.

"Yes, Matsuru, yes! Let hate take you over! Use hatred to fuel your power and desires!"

Matsuru's screams became even louder. She writhed, trying to escape the sharp, cutting pain, the chains leaving deep gashes on her once untainted wrists. And then abruptly, her screams cut off as her body went limp. The dark energy ceased and Masaya gazed at her thoughtfully, as if she were nothing more than an interesting experiment.

Ichigo watched tensely and was second from calling out to her daughter when Matsuru subtly stirred. Ichigo felt immensely relieved, until Matsuru began chuckling. The sound made Ichigo freeze in terror…It sounded just like Masaya's laugh.

Matsuru's head shot up and Ichigo couldn't contain the gasp that escaped her lips. Instead of her warm ocher eyes, Matsuru now gazed up at Masaya with pure onyx eyes, the iris and pupil all swallowed up in black. Her chuckle turned to and ice cold laughter that raised the hairs on the nape of Ichigo's neck. But, worst of all was Matsuru's voice. It was no longer sweet and warm, but now dark, feral, and evil.

"You are right. There is no love in this world, only hate. I see that now."

The chains fell away from Matsuru's bloodied wrists and she stood in a swift, graceful movement. Masaya smiled at her and walked to her, dropping her hands heavily on her shoulders.

"Yes my dear. Feed off of the power hate has given you. Can you sense it?"

Matsuru nodded and Masaya smiled even wider. "Good, good. Now, we have to use all that power, don't we? We wouldn't want it to go to waste. The best way for you to use your newfound powers would be at those who have hurt you the most recently, right?"

Matsuru nodded again, her eyes blank and unfeeling. "Yes, that is what we must do."

Masaya laughed and turned Matsuru around so he could lean down and whisper in her ear coolly.

"And what are we going to do?"

Matsuru's eyes grew even darker and filled with a dark hatred as she answered monotonously, "We are going to go to Tokyo, and we are going to find the Mews and their daughters, and Ryou and Keiichiro, and my mother and Kish."

Masaya looked like he wanted to burst into maniacal laughter as he asked, "And what are you going to do to all those awful people?"

Lifting her hand and looking down at it, Matsuru smiled and then watched as a dark energy pulsed from it. Clenching her fist tightly, she looked up and said in a harsh tone, "I am going to destroy them all."

It became all too much for Ichigo to bear and she cried out, hoping to reach her daughter, tears spilling onto her cheeks.

"Matsuru, you can't believe what he's saying! I love you! Your aunts and uncles love you! Your father loves you, and Cole! What about him? He loves you with his whole heart! By rejecting this love, you are only allowing weakness to tear at your heart! You are making yourself weaker! Don't do this! Sweetheart, please, listen to me!"

But her efforts were futile. The scene had already begun blurring together, and the bitter wind returned, this time forcing Ichigo backwards away from her daughter. She tried to fight against it, but it was too strong. She was inched back until a very strong gust caught her off balance and she fell backwards hard.

Everything around Ichigo shattered as she kept falling downward. The scream that tore its way up her throat in the fall was stolen by the once more acidic air. Darkness wrapped itself around her in freezing tendrils and bound to her arms and legs. She struggled and thrashed about, trying to get away from the biting pain when she felt heavy tendrils creep up her shoulders and latch on tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and found her voice finally as she was able to scream.

"NO!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Ichigo started awake, sitting up suddenly and was met with a crack to the forehead. She fell back onto the pillows and grasped her throbbing head. Her eyes watered painfully as she looked through them to find Kish in much the same position. After the initial pain passed, Ichigo found herself breathing heavily, sweat pouring down her face, her eyes crowded with tears of pain, but also sorrow.

Looking to Kish, she noticed his one hand still rested on her shoulder.

_It must have been him who grabbed my shoulders. _

He glanced at her concernedly and moved the hand from her shoulder to her cheek, wiping away the fallen tears.

"I'm sorry that I startled you, Ichigo. But, you were moaning and thrashing, so I tried to wake you, but when I grabbed your shoulders, you woke up suddenly at my touch and sat up screaming, hence the skull collision. And…"

His words trailed off as he looked into her tearing eyes, knowing that the tears weren't from the pain of her head. He wrapped his long, strong arms around her quivering body and she crumpled into sobs into the folds of his shirt. He pulled her closer and she spoke quietly through the newest onslaught of tears.

"Oh Kish, I was having the most w-wonderful dream, b-but then it turned into a nightmare!"

Kish crooned to her as she continued to cry, laying down with her as she curled into his warm embrace. Although her daughter was turned evil and was coming to kill them, and she still was unsure about many things, just being held in the warmth of the arms of the man she loved, Ichigo found herself calmer. Slowly, the nightmare vanished from her mind as she gave one last thought.

_We will be ready for it…just not tonight. We'll deal with what hits us tomorrow, but for now? Now I just want one night to be embraced by my love, my life, my Kish._

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

D: Well, that's it for now folks! I am trying to get the next chapter done at a quicker pace than this one was done. I'd hate to leave any of you upset! Also, the sequel for this is going to be written, and I would very much like to add in a character from the mind of a fan. Perhaps a contest or something would suffice. Whatever I decide, I will let you all know next chapter. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review!


	17. Power

D: Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well! As promised, here is the next chapter. **PLEASE** don't forget to tell me if you approve the idea of contest for the sequel. Whoever is the winner will have their character placed into the new story. Also, thanks to those who reviewed last chapter.

_kisshufan4ever, Kisshu x Ichigo4ever, Brenea3564, xxyangxx2006, and mewmewlightning._

Ichigo: DISCLAIMER-daisukezgirl13 owns Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi

Chapter 17: Power

The morning sun was bright and warm as it fell over the slumbering Ichigo's face. The birds twittering in their vibrant cacophony was loud enough to cause her to briefly stir. As her brown eyes fluttered open, she smiled and yawned. The morning, greeting her with bright welcome, was as seemingly perfect as perfect could get. That was, until a strong pair of arms hugged her from behind. Turning over, Ichigo came face to face with the drowsy, yet beautiful face of the man she loved. Kish smiled at her and kissed her nose gently.

"Morning," he murmured softly. Beneath the covers the two laid next to each other and Ichigo felt that he was naked. Memories of the previous night bubbled up and Ichigo felt warm inside. Even in the midst of all the trouble, they had made love in the most beautiful and passionate way she ever remembered. The day was managing to get even more perfect every second that Ichigo laid there.

However, other memories from the previous night flooded into her head. She sat up suddenly and tried to sort through her speeding thoughts. She had a dream of her past, but then she had seen Matsuru…and Masaya. He had been hurting her, and then they said they'd be coming to Tokyo…

Her heart started fluttering in panic in her chest. She struggled to remove herself from the covers and quickly found her clothes, throwing them back on. Kish sat up behind her, staring at her concernedly as she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on her shoes. He laid soft hands on her shoulders and brought his lips to her ear.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" He asked the question gently as Ichigo turned around to face him quickly.

"Something's happened and everyone has to get together or else we'll never be ready in time, and I don't even know how much time we have left! I have to-"

"Wait, wait; slow down." Kish interrupted firmly as his stare bore straight into Ichigo's eyes. "I am confused. What is going to happen? What is it that you have to tell everyone?"

Ichigo turned her face away and thought about what had occurred in the dream; her past, her life, and then, the horrors of Matsuru's torture and the Darkness…

Tears welled up in her eyes as Ichigo looked back to Kish's steady gaze and slowly began recounting all that her dream had contained. When Ichigo mentioned the door seeping Darkness, Kish's face turned sour and his brow furrowed deeply. Continuing, Ichigo found herself shivering in fear as she retold about her encounter with the Darkness and how it froze her to her very core. As she explained to Kish about seeing Matsuru shackled and tortured, she could see guilt flooding into Kish's eyes. She wanted to save him from drowning in it, but her own guilt was slowly gnawing away at her insides.

The moment Ichigo mentioned Masaya's name and what he did to Matsuru, Kish's guilt was replaced by infallible rage. His vision was tinted in crimson and his hands shook as he clenched them into tight fists. Ichigo laid her hands gently on his and said in a low, shaky tone, "He tortured her…and then did something to her that made her…it made her turn evil. Oh Kish, her eyes were black as onyx and just as cold as ice! She is convinced that there is no love in the world, and that we all hate her. Masaya is using hate to drive her to…"

She paused a moment, her throat going dry as she swallowed and tried to clear it. Kish stared at her as he prompted, "He is using hate to drive her to…?"

Ichigo looked into his eyes and sighed before trying to speak again, this time success meeting her efforts.

"He is using hate to drive her to revenge. She wants to find us and destroy us. Matsuru and Masaya will be coming to Tokyo today to do just that. I don't know when they're coming and I don't know how, but trust me Kish, they are going to come. And when they do, I have no idea what I can do. I…I can't fight my own daughter, especially when she's not in her right mind like this."

Ichigo trembled and held back the tears that threatened to fall down her pale face. Kish, however much that he wanted to wrap his arms around Ichigo and to comfort her, knew that he could not do so at the moment. Now was the time for action.

Kish got up from the bed and retrieved his clothes, putting them back on quite rapidly before turning to the still seated Ichigo. He could see guilt and fear writhing like vicious vines in her tear clouded eyes. He went to her and leaned down so that he was face to face and then he spoke.

"Ichigo, my beautiful koneko-chan, I know that this must be a lot for you to take in and try to comprehend. However, now is not the time to falter. You must be strong for not only yourself, but Matsuru as well. In this state when she is fragile and cutoff from love, she will need the support and strength of her family to hold onto. You just need to have a little bit of faith and love, and we will get out daughter back, alright?"

Ichigo hesitated a moment, letting Kish's words sink into her brain. When they had finally settled, she nodded slowly and reached out her hand, searching for his and the comfort it brought. He squeezed lightly and smiled at her before standing upright, raising her with him.

"Now we have to gather everyone so that you can tell them what you know."

Ichigo nodded silently, afraid of what would happen if she should open her mouth as Kish led her gently to the door. However, the moment Kish swung the door inward, the two were met face-to-face with Pudding. She had her hand raised like she was going to knock but was interrupted. She looked surprised but it passed after a second and she smiled at them.

"Sorry you guys," Pudding spoke in her cheery tone, her eyes raking over the couple attached by holding hands. "I didn't mean to…_interrupt_ anything."

Ichigo looked down and saw that both Kish and her clothes were wrinkled and hastily thrown on. Feeling her head, Ichigo knew that her hair was a disheveled mess and blush crept up on her cheeks faintly. A grin took over Pudding's lips as she began once more.

"Anyway, I came up here to tell you guys that Cole will be here in a little under an hour."

Ichigo's eyes widened as she asked, "Already? That was fast. How long have we been asleep?"

Pudding's smile grew a little wider as she answered, "It's just after one. You guys slept the morning away, but we figured you needed the rest. And as to answer why Cole will be here so soon is because Ryou's private jet was still in Chicago as a backup plan for you and…Matsuru."

Ichigo noticed Pudding paused at Matsuru's name and wondered why. The tone she took seemed like Matsuru was someone who was distant that they discussed. It unnerved Ichigo and she pushed the thoughts away.

"Anyway, the flight only took half the time it normally would. Keiichiro will be picking him up from the airport and bringing him back here."

Nodding, Ichigo felt Kish gently squeeze her hand. She saw him smile at her momentarily and it gave her some strength. Looking to Pudding, Ichigo gathered her nerve and said quickly, "Pudding, I need you to gather everyone together downstairs. I have to tell them all something really important. And please hurry, as time is of the essence."

Pudding seemed a little shocked at the sudden request, but if she thought it was strange, she said nothing as she walked down the hallway. As soon as she was out of sight, Ichigo slumped against the doorframe as if it was the only thing that held her up, sighing. Kish looked at her with a quizzical expression, concern filling his golden eyes.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked her softly as he ran a hand down her cheek. She wove her fingers into his and leaned against his hand gently. She sighed once more before answering him as truthfully as she could.

"I will be, I'm…I'm just not now. When we find Matsuru and bring her back safe and sound, then I will be alright."

Kish smiled warmly at her, very proud of her strength as he leaned in to plant a blooming kiss upon her lips. When the two pulled apart, they smiled at each other and Kish couldn't help but think of how much he loved her. Pecking her on the lips once more, the two grabbed each other's hands and descended into their hellish planning.

* * *

"I know that this must seem so strange and you might be thinking that it was only a dream, but I'm telling you, I know it wasn't. It was real, and it really did happen."

Ichigo sat at a café table, Kish standing behind her, his comforting hands resting atop her tense shoulders. Ryou, all of the Mews and their families looked at Ichigo with heavy gazes. The silence was almost tangible in the air and Ichigo swallowed painfully against the lump that had risen in her throat. They had to believe her; they were her friends! She wouldn't make something like that up! This was about the safety of her daughter!

Ryou rubbed his eyes tiredly and after a few more moments of silence, he lifted his head and gazed at Ichigo.

"Ichigo…I hope you know what you're saying sounds crazy."

Her mouth opened wide in shock. How could he? How dare he? It wasn't a lie, and she wasn't crazy! How could he be so dense and…stupid?

As she started to sputter incoherent noises, Ryou held up a hand to stop her and spoke quickly, cutting her off.

"No, let me finish. It sounds crazy…to normal people. However, we are not normal people. In fact, we are anything but, so your story makes complete sense. You and Matsuru share special bonds of mother and daughter, friends, and now Mews. You are connected. Seeing something that has or will happened to your own flesh and blood, and your own team mate is nothing but normal for us. I believe you."

Ichigo let out a breath as the lump finally vanished from her throat. They believed her! Ichigo could see that now, almost as if a visible air of relief had settled over the café. Now they could fully focus on how to save Matsuru and bring her home safely. As if reading her thoughts, Ryou continued.

"We must begin to plan how to bring Matsuru back home. According to what Ichigo saw, both Matsuru and Masaya will be coming to Tokyo soon to seek us all out and exact their revenge. One thing we all must keep in mind is that Matsuru won't be in her right state of mind. She will be lost and confused, and ultimately just a fragile pawn in Masaya's calculating hands. Entering this endeavor with extreme caution will be the best course of action."

He leaned forward and opened his mouth to continue, but he was interrupted when the door to the Café opened and Keiichiro entered wearing his normal smile. He nodded to the assembled group and then turned around and gestured for someone to enter. After a moment, a boy entered the Café and looked at the group with wide eyes. Ichigo smiled warmly at him and said in English, "Welcome, Cole."

Cole looked to her, his crystalline blue eyes seeming to shine beneath his tousled brown tresses. He gave a formal, short bow and, surprising everyone, answered in Japanese.

"Thank you, Mrs. Momomiya. It is nice to see you again."

Ichigo was momentarily puzzled and asked tentatively, "You…you speak Japanese?"

Cole nodded and looked back to Keiichiro before he answered. "I do now. On the flight over, Mr. Akasaka gave me a device and told me to listen to it while I slept. When we touched down, he awoke me and told me what the device had done, allowing me to become bilingual."

Keiichiro nodded as if affirming Cole's story and smiled warmly at him as he asked, "Please have a seat with everyone else. Can I get you anything, Cole? Tea, coffee, a snack?"

As Cole seated himself at the table, he shook his head and answered, "No, thank you. I am fine. The only thing I really want it to help get Matsuru get home safe and sound."

As Keiichiro excused himself to the basement to check on some things, the rest of the group dissolved into greetings and formalities. As Ichigo looked to Kish, expecting him to be wearing his normal countenance, she instead found him looking frustrated, a frown pulling the corners of his lips down and furrowing his brow. She followed his gaze and found it plastered to Cole.

_What is wrong with Kish?_ Ichigo wondered worriedly. While everyone else was busy greeting Cole, she stood and pulled him out of earshot. When they were a safe distance away, Ichigo stopped and touched his cheek softly.

"Kish," she murmured gently. "What is the matter? You look terribly upset and distressed."

As first, Kish just stood there, looking past Ichigo as if he hadn't heard her words. But then, after a few moments, he dragged his gaze back to her and blinked slowly before glancing at Cole and then back to Ichigo. She furrowed her own brow and placed her other hand on his other cheek, capturing his face between her delicate hands.

"What is bothering you?" She asked, curiosity and concern leaking out in her tone. Kish looked deeply into her eyes and when he answered, his words were slow and careful.

"That…that boy…there is something very…very strange about him."

Ichigo couldn't help but look over to Cole, her eyes widening. "Cole? Something strange about Cole?"

Kish nodded and continued, more flurried and rushed than before. "He is not like a normal person. There is something…familiar about him, but I know we've never met before. Also…" Kish paused for a brief moment and lowered his voice before continuing.

"I can sense that there is more to that boy than meets the eye. He is more than normal, and he…he has something inside of him that I don't even think he himself knows of yet."

Ichigo once again and furrowed her brow slowly. Was there something about Cole that was strange? Did he hold some sort of mysterious power that even he didn't know he had? If so, what was it that he possessed? She shook her head after a moment of rapid thought and returned her gaze to Kish's distressed eyes.

"Look, there is nothing we can do about the matter even if it is true. Whether Cole is strange or not, it's not like we can talk with him about it with so much going on. Our main priority at this point in time should be solely on how to get Matsuru home. After our daughter is safe, then perhaps we can figure out what's going on, alright?"

Kish fought with his inner curiosity until Ichigo's words finally sank in.

Matsuru. She was what was important now. The rest could wait. He nodded at her words and smiled before caressing Ichigo's flushed cheek.

"Of course," he answered softly. "Matsuru is what we should all be focusing on right now. Let's head back to planning."

He grabbed Ichigo's hand before leading her back to the table. As they took their seats, the greetings to Cole faltered off until a heavy silence persisted. It was Ichigo who finally broke the terse air.

"So Cole, what do you know about Matsuru that could help us to get her back?"

The tone in the café instantly turned somber at her words as they each thought of Matsuru and the predicament they were all entangled in. Cole's genteel face became an impassive mask as he slowly folded his hands before him and closed his eyes. After a few more moments of painful silence, he opened his eyes and exhaled heavily.

"I…I'm afraid I don't really know all that much. After all, I really only knew her a few days at the orphanage before she moved. But I do know that she had a lot of fears…fears that could be easily preyed on. She wanted her family back, but she was scared. She felt insecure, wondering why you guys even gave her up in the first place. She wondered had you guys ever loved her at all. Her whole life had been lived with the fear that even her own parents hated her. It left her with many self doubts. She eventually just kept thinking that you must've hated her, or just didn't want her because she wasn't worth anything to you. I can only assume that Masaya guy knew about her doubts and played into them, making her hate you all in turn, as she thought you hated her. That's why she went with him." He exhaled another heavy breath and lowered his gaze as a small hitch worked its way up his throat.

Ichigo wanted to comfort the boy so badly. He truly loved Matsuru, as evident by his pain over her pain. She could again see many attributes he and Kish shared and it frightened her a little. Perhaps their similarities were what Kish had attributed to the "strange" something he felt about Cole…but Ichigo doubted it. After all, in her life, and with all the things she had seen, she didn't believe in coincidences like that.

"All I want," Cole continued on quietly, "is for Matsuru to be returned home, safe. And I will do whatever it takes to ensure that happens. I will do what needs to be done to bring her home." His blue eyes shone with vigorous passion as he clenched his hands into tight fists. Kish could only stare at the boy, wondering what is was about him that was so familiar. Cole was…different; that much Kish could ascertain. The problem was simply Kish didn't know _how_ he was different.

As he opened his mouth to ask Cole a question, he was interrupted by Keiichiro sprinting up the basement stairs and into the midst of the café. He wore a frantic, panicked look on his usually calm face as he stared intently at Ryou. When he spoke, his words were clipped and flurried. However, as soon as the words left his lips, no one focused on how they were said, just _what_ was being said.

"Downtown Tokyo is being attacked. The death toll is rising, and the injured numbers are growing every minute. The police are doing everything they can to evacuate the area, but not quickly enough. Hundreds – no, thousands – have already been carried to nearby hospitals in the area. The hospitals are overflowing and there are still hundreds of people unable to evacuate still trapped downtown. It's…well, you have to see for yourselves."

He rushed over to the TV that stood in the corner and flipped it on, turning it to the main news channel. A flustered female reporter stood in front of the camera, her clothes dusty and torn, and her once elegant hair falling out in pieces. The city landscape behind her made Ichigo's face drain of color. The buildings were almost all gone. The whole street was in ruins, crumbling buildings crashing down around, the air filled with screams. Debris and dust from the ruined buildings covered everything, including cars flipped on their sides. The female reported stood tall, trying to be strong in the midst of tragedy, but Ichigo could see the panic welling up in her eyes.

"As we've been reporting, downtown Tokyo is under violent attack. It happened at approximately 2:48 pm and has been relentless ever since. Though, we seem to have reached a momentary lull in which the medical personnel are trying to evacuate as many people as possible. Police have given us no statements, so we are unsure if this is a new form of terrorism, or something else entirely, but people are scared. Some are saying that this attack is reminiscent of the Mew Mew battles from years ago. And as we…look! Look, over there! Those must be the attackers!"

She flung her finger away from the camera and it swung around wildly trying to find the people she spoke of. Finally, it slid into focus and stayed put on two figures that were slowly emerging from the smoke and debris. The reporter sounded professional in her situation, but Ichigo could also hear trembling in her voice as the figures moved closer.

"It appears to be only two people. We are not sure yet if these two are solely responsible for this attack, or speaking for those responsible. From what I can see, the shapes seem to be those of a man and a young girl, though it isn't confirmed."

Suddenly, a breeze blew the smoke and dust away, clearing the air momentarily and allowing Ichigo to set her gaze on the two. When she saw them, her eyes widened and her heart stopped, her worst fears confirmed.

It was Matsuru and Masaya.

Masaya was transformed into the Blue Knight, looking half dead. His clothes were tattered, his short shorts replaced with worn pants. His previously vibrant golden hair was faded and his pale cheeks were sunken in. Dark circles layered the skin beneath faded blue eyes. Even though his eyes were faded, they were drenched in vicious hatred and disgusting glee as he surveyed the destruction around him.

As Ichigo's gaze shifted to Matsuru, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia and sorrow.

Matsuru was transformed into her Mew form looking as much like her mother as ever. The uniform was the same, her hair was the same pink, and her feet were adorned in the same boots. The only difference in clothes were Matsuru's gloves which were fingerless and stretched up her arms. The ears that sat upon her head were grey and white, as was the tail that flicked about agitatedly. The worst feature, and the feature that filled Ichigo with the most sorrow and dread were Matsuru's now blackened eyes. They were flat and dead, filled with an icy hatred that mirrored the man beside her.

Matsuru looked directly at the camera and stared with those intense eyes before raising her hand slowly. Her lips moved soundlessly as a dark, crackling energy ball appeared in her hand. A sadistic smile took over her lips that sent shivers down Ichigo's spine. Then, without warning, Matsuru flung the energy ball at the camera and news crew. Screams echoed about, but the loudest was the high pitched scream of the reporter. The camera dropped to the ground as its owner fell victim to the attack. The lens cracked and webbed, distorting the image of Matsuru and Masaya.

Ichigo stood, enraged, her hands shaking. How dare Masaya use her daughter to cause such pain and destruction? As she was about to turn away to do something, _anything_ to stop this, Masaya's voice struck her from the television, stopping her in her tracks.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, are you watching? You see all this pain, all this death? All of this," he gestured behind him at the fallen buildings, "is your fault!"

Ichigo's eyes went wide and flicked to the television screen where the camera was still focused on the duo. Masaya stepped forward and spoke again, his voice full of a mix of hatred and amusement.

"You may be wondering how? Look around, and think about what you've done! Had you not abandoned your daughter, and had you taken care of her, this carnage would not be! Had you not been a cheating _whore_, this would all have never happened. However, this right now…this is real! This destruction is your fault. So, come down here if you want to try to make up for what you've done. Face your mistakes and your heartbroken daughter if you dare. Face her, the girl you betrayed!"

He let out a low, evil laugh and took a step back, Matsuru taking his place. She stared at the camera, her icy features set in a hard mask. Her voice was strong and dark, as dark as her eyes.

"Come along mother, and atone for your sins. I will be waiting for you, if you can face me."

And with that, she shot another ball of energy that caused the camera to go to static, and then to black. Silence filled the café as the news channel frantically tried to get newsfeed back. Not one person moved in the room, their gazes plastered still to the television. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Certainly no one had expected to see Matsuru harming innocent people.

Ichigo found herself trembling, unable to stop. She collapsed heavily into her chair and held her head in her hands. No one dared approach her; they were all too afraid to do something to further upset or hurt her. Even Kish didn't attempt to go to her. He only stood, staring at the screen, the image of his now hate consumed daughter burned into his eyes. What had Masaya done to her? What had happened to his daughter?

After a few more moments, the silence was shattered as Cole stood.

"_NO_!" He screamed the word and slammed his hands on the table, causing a few people to jump. "This is bull! Why are we all just sitting here doing nothing, especially after what we just saw?"

Cole turned his fiery on Ichigo and Kish as he asked a little quieter, "Have you both forgotten that she's your daughter? Your…your _daughter!_ You have to do something more than just sitting around in a daze!"

Ichigo flinched at the accusatory tone and she gazed up at him, whispering. "We…we can't, Cole. If we go, Masaya wins. He's obviously very strong, and all we have in our arsenal to fight him are the Mews, and even that's not much. We have the four girls, but they're not trained, and I couldn't ask them to fight against someone like Masaya. It would be a little better if the old Mews could still fight, but we don't have the ability to anymore. It's been almost fourteen years since we last transformed, and if we can't transform, we can't fight. But, the most important reason we can't do anything is Matsuru herself. I…I can't let someone hurt her, and _I_ can't hurt her anymore."

Her lip trembled as she almost whispered, "Don't you see, Cole? I want to save Matsuru just as much as you do, but we don't have a choice. We can't do anything except attempt to come up with a plan."

Cole stared harshly at her a moment more before the fires in his eyes were doused by small, angry tears. He turned his face away, ashamed of his weakness, and sat down, his shoulders set in resignation.

"What the hell good will plans do?" He asked, his tone colored in dejection. "From what you've said, it sounds like we have no hope, no matter what course of action we take. No matter what we try to do…it will fail…and we will lose. I mean, is there really any way we can save her?"

Silence fell heavily in the room and after a moment, Cole sighed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he murmured through clenched teeth. His hands folded together tightly and he forced the angry tears back. He loved Matsuru with every fiber of his being, and every moment that he was away from her, and that he knew she was in danger and suffering…he couldn't stand it.

Cole forced himself to meet the gaze of everyone around the table, but as he tried, they all looked away, as if afraid to stare at him. The set of their postures, and the countenances they all wore said the same thing; there was no hope. They would lose Matsuru, and they were preparing to deal with the sorrow.

_No,_ he snarled internally. _That line of thinking is _not_ good enough! We cannot give up on saving her!_

Just as he was going to release another outburst, demanding the people around him to do something, a clattering arose from the basement lab. Everyone looked around, as if trying to calculate what could be making the noise. When they saw that everyone was accounted for, the old Mews suddenly became very alert. They jumped up, stances ready to fend off whatever the threat could be. Their daughters, however, could only stare up at their mothers in wonder. Never in their lives had they seen their mothers with faces so drawn or cautious…or powerful.

After a few moments, the clattering ceased, but the women stayed still, their muscles tense. Another minute passed in silence and Ichigo was a few seconds away from declaring the noise to be nothing and lowering her guard when the basement door opened a sliver.

Ichigo's muscles tensed again as she raised her hands in front of her, striking a fighting pose she hadn't taken in years. Suddenly, a small pink fluff ball popped out from behind the door and started flying at Ichigo. The moment she recognized it, she smiled and exclaimed, "Masha! It's Masha!"

The women all dropped their guards as Masha flew to Ichigo and nuzzled against her face. Ichigo smiled even wider and held him in her hands as she looked him over. Besides being a bit dusty and worn, he seemed just fine.

"Ichigo, Ichigo!" He chirped as he flew out of her hands and floated in front of her. All the old Mews were happy to see him, and the new Mews couldn't get over how cute he was. However, Ryou and Keiichiro exchanged glances, looking a little stunned.

"He had stopped working," Ryou said quietly, staring at Masha as he floated down to Ayame. "After the battle against Masaya, he just…shut down, and hasn't worked since."

"I remember that," Mint said, the memory striking her. "He swallowed our Mew pendants back up and then turned off. But I wonder why he started working again now after all these years…"

Masha, as if to answer her question, flew back to Ichigo and flapped his wings in a flurry, chirping, "Ichigo, alien! Alien!"

Once again, the women tensed up, looking around for the alien he spoke of. But, they couldn't see any threats. Then, Ichigo turned around and realized that Kish still stood behind her. She let out a small laugh and answered Masha, "No, no. Kish is a friend now. You don't have to warn me about him. He's –"

But Masha cut her off by flying down to the table and opening his mouth. He shuddered a moment before five Mew pendants fell from his mouth and skittered across the table, landing one each in front of Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro, and Ichigo. And then, as if nothing happened, Masha returned to Ichigo and nuzzled against her neck.

Ichigo's heart stirred as she picked up the pendant on the table and caressed it gently. This was hers; her pendant, her power, her past…her life.

She then turned to her friends as they picked up their own pendants, emotions and memories coming back to them as well. One by one, they lifted their gazes to Ichigo and she could practically feel the thread of power and friendship tying them together once more. A wave of nostalgia struck her and made her think about when she had first become a Mew. They had been five very different girls, thrown together by fate and circumstance, trying to cope with new powers beyond their comprehension, and being told they had to save their world.

Ichigo saw the familiar faces of her friends, her allies, her teammates as they gathered their strength. With these pendants, the women had found hope. With the hope the pendants gave, perhaps they could stop Masaya and what he was planning with Matsuru. As long as they worked together, they could win.

As she opened her mouth to say something to her teammates, Masha once again flew down to the table, surprising her by opening his mouth and dropping out four more pendants, which bounced to the four girls. They each stared at the object in front of them, their mouths agape. Kaori was the first to move, picking up her pendant slowly. Once she did, the other girls followed in suit. Looking down to the new pendants, Ichigo noticed that they were almost identical to the old pendants, except that the Mew mark was red instead of pink.

Sakura looked around, her brow furrowing as she glanced back to her mother Lettuce and asked, "What are these?"

Lettuce smiled and moved to her daughter, answering, "These are your Mew pendants. It is what you girls can use to transform."

"There is one for each of you, and they each match your powers uniquely," Ryou said as he gazed once more down at the pendants. Kaori rubbed the top of hers, watching as the light glittered off of the surface before raising her eyes to meet the stares of her friends. After meeting each of their eyes, she turned back to her mother Zakuro, and asked her, "If there is one for each of us Mews, then where is Matsuru's? How could she transform without it?"

The atmosphere of the room stiffened and Ichigo looked down, at that moment noticing that Kaori was right. Each of the four girls clutched their pendants, but there wasn't a spare one – the fifth one – which would have belonged to Matsuru.

"Masaya…" Kish spat the name like it was acid on his lips. "He must have taken Matsuru's pendant. That must be why Masha was working again. He probably broke into the lab when we were sleeping and made Masha give him the pendant. By the time we would have noticed it missing, it would already be too late. I mean, how else could he have forced her to transform? That…that sick bastard!"

Ryou turned to him quickly and said in a harsh tone, "Kish, enough. This is no time for your hate to take over your senses. You need to keep a rational head, especially if you want to save your daughter."

Kish opened his mouth to retort, but thought about Ryou's words and stopped. He was right; it was not the time to act rashly.

Seeing Kish taking the sense in his words, Ryou nodded and then turned his head to Ichigo. He took a deep breath and asked her as calmly as he was able, "Well Ichigo, with the pendants, you old Mews now have the power. This changes things a bit, but ultimately the choice as team leader falls to you, seeing as it is about your daughter. What do you want to do?"

Everyone turned their heads to Ichigo and she drew in a deep breath, her chest constricting, as she tried to steady herself. What did she want to do? The options opened before her and she tried to think through each one logically. They could stay at the café, try to come up with a safe plan. But that could be a waste of time, in which they could stay safe, at the price of losing Matsuru forever. So waiting was out. On the other end of the spectrum, they could all transform and attack head on, hoping numbers and the old Mews' experience could help them win. However, that put all the girls, and all of Ichigo's friends in harm's way. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as a thought struck her.

_The longer I stand her trying to reason this out, the further away Matsuru will be. I need to think with my heart…should we wait, or attack?_

She raised her eyes and looked around the café at her friends, her comrades, and their daughters. In each of their eyes, Ichigo saw strength, passion, and friendship binding them together. The moment she saw this, her decision was made.

"We will transform, and we will fight."

Every face in the room lit up and the old Mews walked over, each placing a comforting hand on Ichigo. She smiled at her friends and then held her pendant in front of her. Ayame stared with large eyes as she looked down at her own pendant and asked, "And just how do we transform?"

Pudding winked down at her daughter and said cheerily, "Watch and see!"

The five women each held their pendants, memories flooding through them as they felt the power expand once more, calling out the words they each knew well.

"Mew Mew Mint, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Pudding, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Strawberry, METAMORPHOSIS!"

Light permeated the café air and warmth filled each one of the women. Ichigo felt her Mew clothes appear and felt her ears shift as her tail appeared. A smile spread over her lips as the light and warmth faded. When Ichigo opened her now pink eyes, she saw her friends transformed, as if not a day had gone by since they were children.

The girls stared at their mothers, amazed at seeing them transformed, faces coloring in shock. Lettuce, in her Mew form, walked behind her daughters and laid hands on their shoulders as she addressed all the girls.

"You can all transform just the same. All you must do is hold your pendants and feel the power coursing through you. The words you must say will come to you."

She stepped back to join her teammates as the girls stared down at the objects in their hands, a little scared. They each had this power that was unknown and mysterious. However, they knew that time was running short and Matsuru was falling further into darkness. They had to do this – transform with this unfamiliar power – to save their friend.

Suddenly, warmth bloomed within each girl's heart and Sakura laid a hand on her chest, murmuring, "I…I can feel it. There are words calling out from my heart."

"That's good," Keiichiro encouraged. "It means you've connected with your power. Now you have to keep that link as you utter those words."

Sakura stood, her green braid swinging as she smiled at each of her friends. The other girls stood as well and suddenly, they could hear the words as well. Raising their pendants, they called out the words that gave them power.

"Mew Mew Saka, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Sakura, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Ayame, METAMORPHOSIS!"

"Mew Mew Kaori, METAMORPHOSIS!"

Light once again permeated the café air and after a few moments, it subsided and the new Mews looked each other over. The old Mews, Ryou and Keiichiro were stunned and Cole's eyes seemed, not surprised, but as if he were struggling to remember something. Kish took notice of this, but put it at the back of his mind as the new Mews stepped forward.

Sakura looked like her mother, adorned in the same green. Her uniform was similar, but had the sides cut open, exposing her sides and waist. Her shoes were not boots, but flats that were laced with ribbons that crossed up her legs and tied just above her knee. Two antennae sprouted from her head, like Lettuce's, but Sakura's were dark grey in color. Her hair was now tied into two braids, ending in green ribbons.

Saka didn't bear extreme resemblance to any of the women, but she looked the closest to Mint. Her normally blonde bob-cut was now slightly longer and a very light blue. Her uniform was a blue v-cut dress that hugged close to her body. On her hands were small blue gloves that went to her wrists and her feet were adorned with ankle high blue boots. Brightly colored blue wings stretched from her back and blue tail feathers sprouted from her lower back.

Ayame was almost identical to her Pudding. She wore a similar yellow one piece that came to her upper thigh. The back was cut a little lower than Pudding's uniform, but other than that it was the same. She wore thin brown, pliable boots and brown fingerless gloves. Her brown hair was now a bright yellow, though it was still in its small braids. Rounded monkey ears were perched on her head and a long tail waved around behind her.

Kaori also looked almost identical to her mother. Her uniform consisted of short shorts, but her top came lower on her stomach, covering much more skin than the uniform of her mother. Her dark hair was now a light purple and stretched to her waist. She also had wolf ears and a tail, but they were red instead of the grey of her mother's.

Ryou stood and looked to each girl, his concerned gaze lingering on his daughters. After seeing that they were all okay, he smiled and said in a proud voice, "Well done. You are now the second generation of Tokyo Mew Mew."

"Which animals are their powers from, Ryou?" Mint asked as she noticed the girls had similar animal features. Keiichiro pulled out a device, punching in a few buttons before answering her.

"Saka is a Spangled Cotinga, Sakura is a Vaquita Porpoise, Ayame is a Muriqui Monkey, and Kaori is a Red Wolf."

Ichigo nodded, entering her battle mode, her brain letting go of distractions. As if sensing her readiness, everyone turned toward her as she clenched her fist. She took in a deep breath before demanding, "Alright everyone, let's go save Matsuru."

All of the Mews, old and new adopted terse faces as Ryou stepped in front of them. He flung out his hand and shouted, "Tokyo Mew Mew…GO!"

With that, the women and girls, mothers and daughters, took off and ran out of the café doors to save one of their own.

* * *

D: Well there you go! This chapter that I've been trying to upload is finally here! I truly hope you enjoy. Again, **PLEASE** be sure to comment on the idea of a contest. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter uploaded soon, seeing as it was supposed to be part of this chapter. However, I cut it into two parts since it was so long.

Ichigo: Just upload it already! We have to save my daughter!

D: Alright! I'm going! Please be sure to read and review!


	18. Reaching

D: Oh my goodness, is this an update of this fanfiction finally? –gasp– Yes, my fellow writers and readers, it is! I had lost the notebook that the story was in, but I recently found it! At least, this chapter had been written down, but part of the next chapter had gotten damaged, so I have to rewrite. But, plus side, this will be the final arc of this story! So, without further ado, here is this chapter! And, as a surprise guest, Keiichiro is here to do the disclaimer!

Keiichiro: DISCLAIMER; daisukezgirl13 owns Matsuru, Sakura, Saka, Ayame, Kaori, Cole, Kyle, Sam, and the Tokyo Mew Mew characters belong to Mia Ikumi. Now, can we get our girls home?

* * *

Chapter 18: Reaching

Wailing sirens and screams of terror filled the air. A thick haze hung over the destruction of the downtown area, making it almost impossible to see more than ten feet in front of someone.

As the Mews rushed into the area of downtown, they passed countless bodies not yet pulled from the rubble and hundreds of people, crying out, blood oozing from wounds all over, unable to understand why this had happened.

Medical teams attempted to pull the living to safety, and carefully shift the bodies away. Though their faces were all an attempt to be calm, there was underlying terror and dread in every face.

"This…this is terrible," Sakura commented, her eyes filling up with tears. Her sister stepped beside her and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder before turning to her mother and aunts, a harsh tone grating from her thin lips.

"How could anyone do this? How could someone knowingly cause this much pain and devastation? I don't care if–"

Ichigo had opened her mouth to defend her daughter, but Zakuro stepped forward and answered for her.

"Don't forget, Mew Saka, that of the two who initiated this bloodshed, one is being controlled after being tortured mercilessly, and the other is a demented psychopath with little restraint or self-control. Do not be so quick to judge. Our only duty and mission is to bring our comrade, family, and friend home in complete safety; that is all."

A brief and uncomfortable silence fell over the group before Saka dipped her head down and said quietly, "You're right…I'm sorry…"

It took another moment of silence before Pudding cleared her throat and chirped, "Um, well…why don't we get going?"

There were small murmurs of agreement as the group began to move forward again, eyes searching for their goal.

Minutes passed as the group only went deeper into the destruction. As Ichigo looked around, she wanted to gag at the number of bodies she saw, which only seemed to increase in number the further they went. How far was Masaya willing to go for his vengeance?

An even worse feeling filled her mind as she thought, _Just how many of these people have fallen at Matsuru's hand? And, when this is all over…what will happen to her?_

After a few more minutes, Mint lifted a hand to halt the group and they did so, watching her as her brow furrowed. In a hushed voice, she said, "Can you guys hear that?"

Immediately, the group hushed and listened closely. The wail of sirens had all but faded, only a faint noise in the distance. The cries victims did not reach here, where only the dead seemed to dwell. However, there was nothing neither alarming nor strange to be heard.

"I don't hear anything," Ayame finally responded, her tone quiet.

"Exactly," Zakuro replied, her muscles tensing. "It's too quiet. If Masaya and Matsuru are still here, there'd be some noise or indication. Keep your guards up."

All of the Mews tensed at her warning, looking around, trying to see something in the dust and mountains of debris. Wary eyes combed every area, but nothing stirred and Ichigo could sense that after a few minutes, the new Mews were getting restless.

Just as she was about to say something, movement caught her eye. As Ichigo quickly looked to the right, she saw a large energy ball flying toward their group.

"Everyone, _move_!"

She screamed as she launched herself away, eyes full of panic. The other Mews hesitated only a brief moment before catching sight of the impending attack and evading. They barely got out of the way in time as the attack struck where they had been only moments before.

The blast from the impact was so strong that it shoved Ichigo forward and into a concrete slab, knocking the air from her lungs. As she slumped to the ground, coughs racked her frame until she was able to roll onto her side.

Then, a simple sound filled the air. It was familiar, and yet completely foreign.

Laughter.

Ichigo sat up, clutching at her abdomen as her eyes searched frantically through the dust. Finally, she spotted what it was that she was looking for. As the dust settled a little, two figures emerged and stood slightly away. As she stared at them, her limbs went numb.

Masaya, in his Blue Knight form, stood next to Matsuru. He looked ragged, from his torn and tattered clothing, to his sickly looking pallor, to his faded yet enraged eyes. His mouth was set into a maniacal grin as his finger twitched toward the Mews. His face, his whole self, which would usually frighten Ichigo, barely fazed her now. The reason she went cold, limbs numb with fear, was her daughter.

Matsuru was in her Mew form, looking so much like a younger version of her mother. Yet, even though the girl before her was her daughter, Ichigo knew she was a stranger.

Matsuru's eyes were as black as onyx and just as cold as ice. Evil seemed to radiate off of her like the man who stood to her side. A wicked grimace spread over her lips as she let out another shot of dark laughter.

"So you came," she spat at the Mews, glaring to her mother as the older woman stood, looking with sorrowful eyes at her daughter. Beside her, Masaya laughed, an icy and terrifying thing as he glared at the woman as well.

"You are so predictable, Ichigo! If anything, that hasn't changed!"

He stood straight up and gazed heavily at the other Mews before refocusing back on Ichigo.

"Noble as always…and just as foolish as well! You just had to come rescue your poor, innocent daughter that you tossed aside like garbage!"

As he laughed again, his tone mocking and cruel, he walked around Matsuru and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. The girl didn't stir at his touch, but kept gazing at her mother with dark, hateful eyes.

"You brought out your army of little foolish girls to defeat me and take back this girl. But what if you win? What then, Ichigo? Nothing will change. You will still hate her, and she will mean nothing to you! This is all about taking back what belongs to you, nothing more!"

Ichigo could only glare at him as her heart pounded painfully in her chest, his laughter stirring the blood in her veins. However, she knew she couldn't rise to him; he was wrong, and could only spout lies. But how could she make Matsuru see that?

"This girl is nothing more than a pawn to you Mews. She means nothing! So let her go, and die by her hand! It's the only way you can atone for your sins," Masaya continued, glee evidently blaring in his words. However, as he opened his mouth to say something else, Ichigo's voice cut him off, strong and confident; she'd finally had enough. Her fists shook and she knew that she could hold back no longer.

"No. All you're saying is lies. Yes, we came to save Matsuru, but not because we own her; she is family, and a friend. We could not abandon her! But more than that, we came to stop you and the destruction you're causing. People have died, and hundreds are injured! I cannot allow that sort of behavior to continue, harming innocent people. Moreover…"

Ichigo flung out a finger and pointed at Masaya before continuing.

"I will not let you use my daughter for this! I won't allow you to poison her mind against love! This has to end, now! For your evil actions, we will make you pay!"

Silence filled the still air and no one moved as Ichigo continued to glare and point at Masaya. Finally, after a moment or two, Masaya doubled over and let out a burst of mocking laughter while he applauded slowly.

"The famous Mew Mew speech! Well done! That was so perfectly stupid and cliché! I'm shaking in fear. No, please don't lecture me to death!"

Ichigo frowned as Masaya continued his manic laughing again. What made it worse was the look of amusement and glaring joy in Matsuru's eyes. Lowering her arm, Ichigo gazed upon the girl, sorrow once again consuming her eyes. Would nothing reach her? Was Matsuru truly lost?

As Ichigo was momentarily distracted by her daughter, Masaya took advantage and vanished, reappearing before the woman. Before she could even flinch in surprise, Masaya grabbed her throat and squeezed, lifting her off of the ground. Her feet kicked out uselessly as her gloved hands clawed at him, to no avail.

She heard the Mews calling out behind her, but the lack of oxygen was causing her ears to ring, turning the shouts to whispers and muffling everything. Masaya lowered her ear to his lips and whispered. Despite the ringing, she was able to hear his cold voice clearly as it sliced through the short space.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this, Ichigo. I've been patient, biding my time. I was forced to wait in the plains between the worlds, trying to gather the power you and your foolish friends shattered. It gave me a lot of time to think and plan. I now know how to make you suffer the most; see, that's my ultimate goal before I kill you. I want your stupid friends, your pathetic alien lover, and you, you stupid whore, to suffer as much as possible."

Without warning, Masaya flung Ichigo away where she struck a metal beam with her back. The sudden pain was washed away in the relief of air rushing into her lungs. She coughed violently, rubbing her raw throat as she attempted to stand.

The Mews rushed to her and gathered around like a shield as Mint helped her up. Lettuce glared at Masaya and said in the coldest tone Ichigo had ever heard her use, "That was a low move, even for you! How…how dare you!?"

The air around Lettuce shimmered for a moment as she called forth her weapons. With a rage unlike any other in her eyes and weapons in hand, she rushed toward the grinning man before her, despite her comrades calling out warnings.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

The green attack sliced through the air at Masaya with great speed, but he raised his hand and with a lazy flick of his wrist, deflected it. The attack skewed off course and hit a metal beam, splitting it into two, with no effort. Then, the man turned his full attention to Lettuce, his eyes burning in a frenzied fury.

"You really shouldn't have done that, bitch," he said as he lifted his hand. There was a millisecond of utter stillness before a dark energy ball appeared and shot from his hand. It crossed the short distance in no time and struck Lettuce in the chest. She screamed a raw, agonized scream as she was thrown back, landing in a damaged heap next to the Mews.

Pudding grimaced and let out a growl as she began to rush toward Masaya. He seemed to smile, as if to say, "Bring it" before taking a secure stance. Once again, the Mews warned their comrade away from her rash move as they helped Lettuce up, but Pudding ignored them.

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!"

The attack sped straight on toward Masaya and it seemed like it couldn't miss, but he vanished with impossible speed and appeared next to Matsuru a fair distance away. Discouraged, Pudding leapt back to her comrades and scowled.

"He's too fast!"

"And strong," added Lettuce, gasping at the pain radiating through her chest. A cackle rose up from Masaya as he stepped away from the blank faced Matsuru. Her eyes watched, as if only a bystander and Ichigo longed to go to her and shake some sense into her. But to get a chance to do that, she knew they had to remove Masaya from the situation. It was the only way…

"He is both of those things," Ichigo began, glaring towards the man. "However, he is also easily distracted, and when he gets into the heat of battle, he can't concentrate. Maybe…"

She paused a moment as Masaya's laughter filled the air again as she began to formulate a quick plan in her head. Licking her dry lips, Ichigo sighed and looked to her friends, speaking quietly.

"Maybe we can attack all at once. Mew Mint and Mew Kaori can attack from the front. While he's distracted, he'll evade to the side. When he does this, Mew Saka and Mew Pudding can attack from the right, while Mew Zakuro, Mew Sakura, and Mew Ayame can attack from the left. He'll have no choice but to jump up, where Mew Lettuce and I will attack him. He'll have nowhere to run, and have to be hit by one of our attacks. It won't be much, but perhaps it'll be just enough to start to fight back. Are we all agreed?"

All of the Mews nodded and Ichigo couldn't help the feeling of pride in her for the strength of those around her. It filled her with renewed strength, and impressed her as she turned to face Masaya, who was now jeering at them, taunting them to attack. Taking a breath to steal herself, Ichigo nodded and spoke in a rushed tone.

"Alright, get ready, and…go!"

At once, the girls and women shot off as they all called forth their weapons. Ichigo and Lettuce jumped behind a piece of fallen wall, hoping to stay hidden until their appointed time of attack. Breaking off from the group, Mint and Kaori flew straight at Masaya and together, released their attacks.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!"

"Ribbon Kaori Pure!"

The attacks sped off like bullets, twisting together as their power fused. Masaya saw this and sneered, calling forth his sword and holding it before him.

"Same old tricks, huh?"

He sneered in a mocking way as he swiped the blade downward fending off the attacks as he jumped to the left, but didn't expect the Mews there.

"Ribbon Zakuro Pure!"

"Ribbon Sakura Rush!"

"Ribbon Ayame Ring Inferno!"

Masaya's eyes shone with brief surprise before he clicked his tongue and evaded the attacks, leaping to the right. Yet again, he was met with the Mews there who unleashed their power.

"Ribbon Saka Echo!"

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!"

Masaya growled and snarled in anger as his eyes turned to slits. Just narrowly avoiding the attacks, he jumped upward, but was surprised when he saw Ichigo and Lettuce there. The two women, hope in their eyes, collected their strength and pushed their attacks with as much force as they could muster.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

Masaya's eyes, now filled with shock, were wide as his mouth hung open, slightly agape. Trying to backpedal, he attempted to reverse his movements away from the attacks, but was forced down as a bright flash of light signaled the striking blow.

"We did it!" Mew Lettuce exclaimed as she landed next to Ichigo. The other Mews rushed over, joy on their faces, but Ichigo knew that it wouldn't be that simple. The dust covered the area and not being able to see Masaya…it worried the leader.

As the Mews began to move to where Matsuru had been, Lettuce urged Ichigo out of her daze and gestured her to follow. However, all was not as it seemed.

A crackling sound rose up and in what seemed moments, a crackling bolt of energy surged from the dust toward Lettuce. There would be no time to avoid it, and Lettuce could only stand there, petrified.

Without thinking, Ichigo quickly shoved Lettuce out of the way just before the attack struck home, crackling around the woman and unleashing its full power. She screamed and screamed, wondering if the pain would end; what was only seconds stretched on in an eternity.

Finally, the attack relinquished its hold on Ichigo and she slumped to the ground, heart pounding painfully in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

_What…what was that? That wasn't like Masaya's normal attacks…it was much too powerful!_

She sat up, grasping at her abdomen as her eyes searched from the attack's source. Masaya, slightly damaged, leaning on his sword, stood grinning as if he'd just won the jackpot. Ichigo couldn't understand; how had their attacks barely fazed him? However, it was then that Ichigo spotted Matsuru.

She stood in front of the man, face contorted in strange fury as she shook from head to toe. In her hands she held a small foot long rod topped with a jeweled heart and adorned with five ribbons and bells. It had obviously been a Mew weapon, but the darkness in Matsuru had touched it and now it was black, crackling with evil energy.

Staring at her mother with loathing in her eyes, Matsuru lifted the weapon before her and spoke in a firm, icy voice.

"Don't lay a hand on him. I barely got a barrier up in time, and next time something bad could happen. I won't let you take away the only person who cares for me! The next attack…will kill you!"

In a sudden movement, the young girl lifted the rod and brought it down in an arc, aiming at her mother.

"Ribbon Dark Swirl!"

Darkness crackled around the rod and formed into a spear, speeding toward Ichigo. She managed to roll out of the way and stumbled over to the other Mews as she watched Matsuru carefully. The girl only glared, halfway between Masaya and her family.

"Matsuru, what are you doing?" Sakura shouted to her friend, tears rimming in her eyes. "Why are you protecting the man who tried to kill you and your mother? Why are you protecting the man who kidnapped you, and tortured you? Why are you allowing yourself to be used for this evil, and attacking the family who loves you? Why!?"

Matsuru scoffed and spat, "Love? Don't make me laugh! The only thing that you…my _family_ loves is to use others! You only bring suffering!"

"That's not true!" Mint responded, stepping forward. "We love you, Matsuru! Why else would we be here, fighting to save you!?"

Scowling at the woman's statement, Matsuru answered, "To take me back to the café; to run experiments and use me for the Mew Project. That's the only reason you retrieved me from Chicago, right? Because the Mew Project wouldn't work without the five of us."

"That doesn't even make sense!" Mint shouted, clenching her fists tightly. "Why would we want to restart the Mew Project when there was no alien threat left on earth? There would be no reason for it!"

The young girl's eyes grew slightly wide, trying to take in what Mint said. Saying nothing, she stood, the gears in her mind whirring as her hand that held the rod dropped slightly. This silence encouraged Ichigo and filled her heart with new hope; perhaps they could reach her after all.

"Mew Mint is right," Zakuro stated calmly. "You have to see the foolishness of the lies Masaya has fed you. He is the one who wants to use you for your power, Matsuru. Think! Why would he have tried to kill you when you were a baby, and then come to 'save' you now? He doesn't care what happens to you. When you've served your purpose, and helped him exact his revenge, he will dispose of you. A man like him, I'm sorry to say, is incapable of loving anyone."

"But…" Matsuru looked down, brow furrowed very deeply. "Masaya said that my mother was the one who didn't care about me, and that she hadn't wanted me from the beginning." Her tone was wary, black eyes flicking to her mother.

"No, of course not! That's the furthest thing from the truth," Ichigo said, laying a hand over her heart. "I wanted you, and I loved you from the very moment I found out you were inside of me. To be with you, raise you, look after and protect you, and watch you grow up to be a strong young woman…that was my dearest wish. And, when I discovered that you were in danger, and that I couldn't keep my promise to protect you…it broke my heart. Having to send you away to Chicago for such a long time practically killed me inside. I have, and will always, care for you, Matsuru."

Ichigo took a step forward and opened her arms to her fragile, shaking daughter. The rod in her hands dropped to her side as the young girl looked down.

"Let go of this anger," Ichigo said warmly, smiling as she took another step toward the girl. Masaya watched with careful eyes, his hand twitching on the hilt of his sword as Ichigo neared her daughter. He didn't make a sound until the Matsuru looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes. Instead of the dark black that had blotted out their normal color, her usual amber had returned and the Mews let out exclamations of joy.

"No!" Masaya growled, grabbing his sword and holding it before him. However, before he could move, Lettuce, Mint, and Zakuro aimed their weapons at him in warning, as if to say, "Try it; see what happens."

Matsuru, oblivious to the actions of Masaya and the Mews, only looked to her mother with golden eyes as she whispered, "M…mom?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied, countenance warm as it could be. "Yes, Matsuru, I'm here. Please, let us put an end to this, and take you home…home to love once again."

Matsuru took a step towards her mother and was just a few feet away when Masaya shouted at her.

"Matsuru, don't let them deceive you! Their love is an illusion!"

The girl stopped, her eyes wide as she looked to her mother. Ichigo continued to smile, hoping that this would be the end…but all was not to be.

In that second, Matsuru's golden eyes reverted to their previous onyx and Pudding shouted to Ichigo, trying to warn her.

"Ichigo, get away from her…now!"

But it was too late. Matsuru chuckled as she lifted her hands sending out a pulse of dark energy. It hit Ichigo dead on and caused her to stumble back a good five feet. Gazing up at her daughter, sorrow and anguish in her eyes, Ichigo felt the hope slowly trickle from her.

"NO!" Matsuru shouted, clenching her fists tighter as she trembled again.

"You are lying! There is no such thing as love! And now…"

Raising the weapon in her hands and pointing it at her mother, she sneered ignoring the tears on her cheeks as she took a deep breath.

"I will make you suffer as you have made me suffer. All of you…DIE!"

* * *

D: Oh ho ho! Well then, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! How will our poor heroines face against the poor confused Matsuru? How will the men at the Café handle this? Find out next chapter! But, before you go, I have some rules I promised for the character contest for this story's sequel.

**Firstly**: _I'd really like it to be a guy, but if your character so happens to be a female, I can work with it as long as it's well done._

**Secondly**: _It must be an alien. It will be an integral part of the story line for this character to be an alien._

**Thirdly**: _Age can be anywhere between 14-20._

Other than that, it can be a very creative thing. Any hair, eye color, anything! Any submissions can be sent to my fanfiction account, or, to my email at LunarWings13137 (it will be at comcast dot net, but this silly site won't let me put an email down). It can be a written bio, or a picture, or both. I am fairly flexible.

But most importantly, please have fun!


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